mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Black History Month (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-2-14

I rise this evening to talk about Black History Month and, in particular, to talk about a program that my office has been presenting every February for many years now. prgtoken Each February, it has been my privilege to honor several Pennsylvanians as part of the celebration of Black History Month. This year, we pay tribute to four esteemed Pennsylvanians who have helped their community and the Commonwealth build resilience. prgtoken And I will list them first, and then I will be talking about each of them in greater detail: First, Tyrone Holmes, from my hometown of Scranton, PA; Della Clark of Philadelphia, PA; Julius Boatwright of Pittsburgh; and Theo Braddy of burg--all Pennsylvanians. And their work is demonstrative of this year's theme for our program: ``Resilience in the Face of Adversity.'' prgtoken As their persistence and strength has helped their communities surmount significant difficulties this year, their enduring leadership is an encouragement to me after a year where, sadly, resilience has been sorely needed throughout our Commonwealth and throughout our country. prgtoken Now, in some ways, we have made some progress in the last year. Just consider this: The national economy created 6.7 million jobs, the most ever in the first year of a Presidency. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate went way down from 7.1 to 5.4. Tens of thousands of jobs have been added just in Pennsylvania. Wages are up, and child poverty is down. The number of fully vaccinated Americans has increased from 2 million to 213 million in just the last year. And we have more tools to manage COVID-19 and keep us safe. prgtoken And, finally, the number of schools open for in-person learning has skyrocketed from just 46 percent a year ago to now 95 percent of schools. Some believe it is as high as 98 percent. prgtoken However, despite those measures of progress, we are still grappling with so much--grappling with a virus that is adaptable and still deadly, especially for people with preexisting health conditions, and even more so for those who are unvaccinated. prgtoken And as COVID-19 has lingered, so, too, have the attendant direct effects. Our schools still struggle to teach our kids and to maintain the regularity that is critical to learning. prgtoken Our businesses must contend with fluctuating demand and a fragile supply chain. Many of our children have fallen behind on their other critical vaccinations and routine doctor visits. Many children and adults struggle with isolation and pandemic-related mental health challenges. prgtoken We know that much of the adverse impact of COVID-19 has been particularly acute for communities of color. In the United States, Black Americans have experienced higher rates of COVID-19 hospitalization and death compared to White Americans. And prgtoken Black Americans have had higher levels of COVID-19-related unemployment. prgtoken Beyond the pandemic, other challenges remain. Systemic
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-2-14

I come to the floor tonight to urge my colleagues to vote here in a minute to confirm Dr. Robert Califf to serve as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. He was confirmed to this role previously with strong bipartisan support. I hope to see that again this evening. prgtoken At this critical moment, we need a trusted hand to lead the FDA, and Dr. Califf's previous service in this role, his career as one of the Nation's leading research scientists, give him the experience to take on this challenge. prgtoken Families across the country count on the Food and Drug Administration every day to follow the science and the data to keep them safe, and COVID-19 has put its work in the spotlight like never before. prgtoken This pandemic has been incredibly hard on our Nation. It has killed over 900,000 Americans. And throughout this crisis, as people have sought to keep their families safe, they have looked to the FDA and depended on the tireless work of FDA scientists to confirm the safety and effectiveness of treatments and vaccines, ensure we have high- quality masks, and review tests to make sure they give us accurate results and more. prgtoken Parents across the country are continuing to wait anxiously for the FDA to greenlight safe, effective vaccines for kids under 5--something I know we all want to see as quickly as the science allows. prgtoken But while the COVID-19 pandemic remains one of the most urgent challenges we face, there are countless other ways the FDA works that matters to families. prgtoken Every day, people put the well-being of themselves, their families, and even their pets in the FDA's hands. When we sit down for a meal, we count on the FDA's efforts to ensure the safety of our food supply and provide us with the information we need to make healthy choices. When we get our prescriptions filled or rely on medical devices to stay healthy, we count on the FDA's work to uphold the gold standard of safety and effectiveness. prgtoken The FDA needs strong leadership to continue that work and to address other pressing challenges: challenges like the opioid crisis, which recently claimed over 100,000 lives in a year--that is a new record; challenges like youth tobacco use--according to the CDC, 2 million of our youth use e-cigarettes; challenges like antimicrobial prgtoken resistance, which could make common procedures more dangerous by making current infection treatments ineffective; challenges like skyrocketing drug costs and pharmaceutical companies who game the FDA approval system to keep more affordable drugs off the market; and challenges like improving health equity. prgtoken I have repeatedly raised the need for the FDA to improve diversity in clinical trials because, when women or people of color or others are left out of the clinical trials, this undermines people's health by delaying information they and their healthcare providers need to understand how a treatment will a
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-2-14

. Thank you, Leader Schumer. prgtoken , I stand in support of this bill. prgtoken This bill is absolutely essential to make sure that the Postal Service is on sound financial footing. prgtoken As Leader Schumer mentioned, Americans all across our country rely on the Postal Service to deliver critical items to their home--things like medicines, which go via the Postal Service. They expect that service to provide it 6 days a week and to do it on time. But, unfortunately, the Postal Service has been saddled with rules that may make it very, very difficult. prgtoken The legislation before us is an attempt to fix those rules that make it more difficult for the Postal Service to deliver essential services and do it in a cost-effective way. prgtoken It is something that has been discussed here in Congress for a decade or more--a decade or more. This is not an issue that just came out of nowhere. This is something we have been trying to fix for nearly a decade. prgtoken Over the last year and a half, we have been working on bipartisan, bicameral legislation, bringing people together and saying, Let's just focus on what is common sense. prgtoken Now, let's see, what is common sense? Right now, the Postal Service has had to prefund retirement healthcare for decades. No other company in America needs to do that. No other Federal agency in the government does that. No one does it, but the Postal Service is saddled with this requirement, which has billed tens of billions of dollars. It is common sense to treat the Postal Service like every other business and every other government agency in the Federal Government. prgtoken Also, it makes sense to have retirees integrated into Medicare. Like every single company in America, it will be integrated into Medicare. And let's be clear: Those postal workers have been paying into Medicare their whole working career. They are paying into Medicare. They should have the ability to actually get Medicare. prgtoken This will also help the Postal Service be able to function in an efficient and effective way. prgtoken The bipartisan, bicameral work that we did--I worked with my ranking member, Senator Portman. We have been working with our counterparts in the House, and both the ic chair and the ranking member came up with an agreement, got wide consensus from folks throughout Congress. In fact, the bill that I introduced here in the Senate, which is basically the bill that is before us from the House, has 28 cosponsors--14 s, 14 . How many bills do we have here on the floor that have that much support from both sides? prgtoken This is bipartisan. This is common sense. It addresses a critical issue for the American people, and they want us to come together and solve it. But instead, we have a procedural blocking technique to slow this down. And every day we wait, it puts the Postal Service in more jeopardy. It is time for action now. prgtoken As th
Inflation (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-2-15

the AP headline from last Thursday said it all: ``U.S. inflation highest in 40 years, with no letup in sight''-- with no letup in sight. That is life in the ' America. In January, U.S. inflation hit 7\1/2\ percent--the highest inflation since February of 1982. Inflation has now been above 5 percent for the last 8 months. prgtoken There are people raising families today who have never experienced this prgtoken kind of inflation in their entire lifetimes. American families are hurting--hurting badly. The average American household spent an estimated $3,500 more last year as a result of inflation--$3,500. That is a lot of money for an ordinary family--a lot. Everywhere they turn, families are facing higher prices. Whether it is ground beef for the chili, bunk beds for the kids' room, or a new car to accommodate a new addition to the family, higher prices are the order of the day. prgtoken The price of chicken is up 10 percent. Pork is up 14 percent. Beef roasts are up 19 percent. Eggs are up 13 percent. Citrus fruits are up 10 percent. Whole milk is up 8 percent. The list goes on. Furniture and bedding were up 17 percent. Major appliances are up almost 10 percent. Tires are up 14 percent. Used cars and trucks are up 40 percent. prgtoken And then there are energy prices. Fuel oil is up 46 percent. Gas prices are up 40 percent. Natural gas is up nearly 24 percent--and on and on and on. prgtoken Predictably, inflation is having its biggest impact on those least able to afford it. A recent Penn Wharton Budget Model study found that lower-income houses, on average, faced an even greater spending increase in 2021 when compared to higher-income households, as a result of inflation. prgtoken It is no wonder 69 percent of Americans disapprove of the President's handling of inflation. have talked about wage growth. Here is the story on wages. Despite wage growth, Americans received a de facto pay cut in 2021, thanks to inflation. Between January 2021 and January 2022, real average hourly earnings declined by 1.7 percent--a pay cut. prgtoken How did we get here? Obviously, the reopening of economies and supply chain issues have created inflationary pressures for the United States and countries around the world. But a big part of the reason things are so bad in the United States today is because decided to pass a massive so-called COVID relief bill last March that far exceeded anything the economy needed. That is right. When took office last January, inflation was 1.4 percent, well within the Fed's targeted inflation rate of 2 percent. prgtoken It might have stayed there had not decided that they needed to pass a massive and partisan $1.9-trillion spending spree under the guise of COVID relief mere weeks after Congress had already passed a major COVID bill--one of five COVID bills, I might add--that passed in 2020, all bipartisan. prgtoken The definition of inflatio
FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD OF GOVERNORS NOMINEES
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-15

now, on a related matter, this -caused inflation has forced the Federal Reserve and its Board of Governors into a very tricky position. But while the country is carefully watching the Fed Board of Governors, the Senate happens to be considering several of President 's nominees to that very same Board. prgtoken Later today, I will meet with Chairman Powell, whom President wisely renominated to serve another term atop the Fed. Chairman Powell has proven to be a straight shooter within the mainstream of monetary policy. His creative leadership helped stabilize our entire economy through the uncertain early days of the COVID recession. I look forward to discussing inflation and the state of our economy with Chairman Powell this afternoon. prgtoken Unfortunately, several of President 's other Fed nominees appear to have been significantly less wise selections. One nominee, Professor Cook from Michigan State University, has previously promoted partisan conspiracy theories. In 2020, she called for a fellow academic to be fired because he opposed defunding the police. prgtoken The White House cites among Professor Cook's qualifications that she sits on the Board of Directors of the regional Fed in Chicago. She was appointed to that position just a few days before President nominated her for this one. prgtoken More troubling still is President 's nominee to the extremely powerful position of Vice Chair for Supervision. This slot comes with major unilateral power. But the President's nominee, Sarah Bloom Raskin, has spent recent years pressuring the Fed to stop being a neutral regulator and instead become an ideological, leftwing activist body. prgtoken Ms. Raskin has argued openly that unelected Fed Governors should use their powers to declare ideological war on fossil fuels and affordable American energy. prgtoken Ms. Raskin wants our banking system to start picking winners and losers in ways that would stick American families with higher gas prices, higher electricity bills, and more dependence on China. And she wants to implement this agenda from inside one of the least directly accountable institutions in our government so that voters simply have no recourse. prgtoken The far left is already boasting that this backdoor Green New Deal would only be the first step. have already introduced legislation that would get the Federal Reserve into the racial redistribution business and inject racial preferences into our financial system. These unpopular ideas would completely upend an institution that Americans need to remain nonpolitical, nonpartisan, and nonideological. Fed Governors are supposed to be neutral regulators, not economic policy dictators whom voters can't get rid of. prgtoken If this weren't disqualifying enough, potentially significant ethical questions have begun to swirl around Ms. Raskin's nomination. During her time out of government, Ms. Raskin
HONORING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS SINCE ITS FOUNDING
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor the City of Long Beach, as the community celebrates 100 years since its founding in 1922. prgtoken On this historic occasion, I find it important to briefly revisit the history of Long Beach. Originally purchased as a parcel of land by Henry on Tinker in 1880, the land was transformed into a small town known as Tinkerville. Only a few decades later in 1922, the coastal town of Tinkerville would be reestablished under a new name-- Long Beach. prgtoken Long Beach has certainly transformed over the years. But while physical structures may have come and gone, the spirit and resiliency of the folks who call it home have not. prgtoken As Southwest Washington's Member of Congress, it's an honor and privilege to serve and represent this special community. I will continue working to make sure Long Beach remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. prgtoken Once again, I want to honor the City of Long Beach, as it celebrates 100 years since its founding. May the city and its people flourish for 100 more.
HONORING THE LIFE OF HAVEN J. BARLOW
Blake D. Moore (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Haven J. Barlow. Utah lost a community giant who lived to be 100 years old. It's hard to believe, but Haven's life was nearly cut short when at just nine months old a train struck the Model T Ford he was riding in, killing his mother and 3 other passengers. Fortunately he survived and lived a full life in service of others. Haven served our country as a Navy Ensign in World War II and was the longest serving state legislator in Utah history, first elected in 1953 and served until 1995. prgtoken Haven's service to Utah and Davis County is immeasurable where he spent much of his time focused on matters pertaining to education. He led the fight to establish and fund the first state vocational institution in Davis County--now Davis Technical College, the establishment of Weber State/Davis Campus, and Utah's creation of the weighted pupil index (WPU) ensuring a child can get the same level of education regardless of where they lived. In addition, Haven helped establish the Hill Aerospace Museum, the Freeport Center, the restoration of Utah's Governors Mansion and was behind the original Utah Symphony Endowment fund. prgtoken Haven was married to Bonnie Rae Ellison for 58 years before her passing and raised 6 children.
HONORING MR. DAN JOHNSON
Van Taylor (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , today, I rise to recognize Mr. Dan Johnson, a respected servant leader whose dedicated forty-five year career in municipal government has led to the direct enrichment of numerous communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. prgtoken Mr. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Austin College and his master's degree in Public Administration from the University of North Texas where he was later named the recipient of the 1995 Distinguished Alumni award. Additionally, Dan is a graduate of the prestigious Public Executive Institute of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. prgtoken For several years, Johnson held a variety of municipal government positions throughout North Texas, including past service as the City Manager and Deputy City Manager for the City of Carrollton, as the Director of Regional Services at the North Central Texas Council of prgtoken Governments, and as a Budget Officer for the City of Sherman. prgtoken In 1996, Dan began his impressive 25-year career with the City of Richardson serving as the Deputy City Manager and Chief Operating Officer from 1996 until he was appointed City Manager in 2012. His active role in economic development initiatives would be instrumental in fostering the prosperity of communities throughout Collin County. prgtoken As a testament to the admiration Johnson has garnered in the community, his past leadership roles include serving as the President of several organizations including the Urban Management Assistants of North Texas, and the Texas City Management Association. Other notable positions include his current service on the Methodist Richardson Medical Center Advisory Board, the University of Texas at Dallas Development Board, the Advisory Council for the UT Dallas School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, and as the Treasurer and Board Executive Committee Member of the North Texas Commission. prgtoken Now as Dan Johnson prepares to begin a new season of life following his illustrious career, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing him for his dedication and many contributions to the betterment of the North Texas region.
Disaster Relief (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-2-15

as you know and as my colleagues know, our budget process is finally moving. prgtoken I wanted to come down to the Senate floor today to say a few words about the need for disaster relief. I am going to talk about Louisiana but not just Louisiana. Two States in particular come to mind: Kentucky and New York. I hesitate to single out specific States because I don't want to denigrate the needs in other States. We have a number of States that need disaster relief, and the way to address that issue, it seems to me, is in our budget bill. prgtoken As you know, Louisiana has, like many of our sister States, suffered many natural disasters throughout our history. My constituents, my people, are very tough. They are very tired, but they are very tough. The reason they are tired is because they have been through a nightmare in the past year and a half--I guess 2 years now. They faced what has felt to me like a nonstop series of hurricanes, of storms, of floods. No matter how many times you have been through a natural disaster, I can tell you, it doesn't get any easier to see your home demolished or to see your home flood or to see your business blown away. prgtoken That is why, as we are working out a government budget deal--and I hope we can work out a budget deal--I want to make sure that Washington doesn't forget about my people in Louisiana or forget about the other Americans who, through no fault of their own, have sustained damage from a natural disaster and need a little help. prgtoken The storms and the floods that hit Louisiana in the last year and a half are not just a distant memory for many of my people. Louisiana families are going to have to live with the consequences of everything the gulf has been throwing at us for a while. That means broken buildings. That means wrecked homes. That means destroyed businesses. That means debris cluttering the streets. And that doesn't even begin to describe the mental anguish of having a hurricane uproot your life and your livelihood and your kids' education and your ability to go to church on Sunday. prgtoken I wanted to remind all of my colleagues today of the litany of catastrophes that have befallen my State. I mention this list not to ask for your pity. Let me say it again. Louisianians are tough. We are tough as a boot. We are tired. But I want my colleagues to understand that I am not talking about a simple rain shower here. My people have been through a lot. prgtoken In August of 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall in Louisiana. Hurricane prgtoken Laura destroyed or damaged more than 100,000 homes. Laura leveled or damaged almost every single building--every one--in the city of Lake Charles. prgtoken Then came Hurricane Delta right behind Laura in October of 2020. Delta left more than half a million Americans--rather, Louisianians and Americans, of course--without power, not just for a few minutes, not just for a few hours, for days. prgtoken That