mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
WELCOMING THE HONORABLE KWEISI MFUME TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Kweisi Mfume (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-5-5

. Madam , I thank the majority leader for his kind and overly gracious remarks. prgtoken Madam , I rise to offer my heartfelt thanks and my deepest appreciation to the people of Maryland's Seventh Congressional District for the high honor and the distinct privilege of again representing them here in the Congress of the United States. prgtoken I am happy to have been joined by members of our distinguished delegation from the State of Maryland, and I appreciate their presence here among us. prgtoken I thank Almighty God for the victory and for my wonderful family and friends. I am joined here in the gallery by my wife, Dr. Tiffany Beth Mfume, and a longtime family friend, attorney Eric Bryant, and others. prgtoken I am honored by those supporters who are Black and White, Latino and Asian, who could not be here at this time but who have worked so very hard to make sure that this moment would be possible. And I believe, as they do and as we continue to do, that racism, sexism, and anti- Semitism are wrong, that Black bigotry can be just as cruel and evil as White bigotry, that gay bashing, immigrant bashing, and union bashing ultimately deplete us as a Nation and rob us of our ability to make true and lasting change. prgtoken Today marks my return to this body after 24 years and following the death of the Honorable Elijah Cummings, my friend of 42 years. I do so against the backdrop of COVID-19 and in the midst of our Nation's greatest health crisis of the 21st century. prgtoken Simultaneously, we are also locked in the Nation's greatest economic collapse, where there are now families and individuals who haven't had a paycheck in weeks as they struggle to buy food and to pay bills. prgtoken Madam , our challenges as a Nation at this hour, as you and others know better than I, are economic, educational, social, and systemic, and they require both the courage of conviction and the unwavering resolve that the American spirit has always exhibited in order to solve them. prgtoken Thus, in yielding back my time, I call forth the words of Dr. James Cheek, when he so eloquently exclaimed: ``I have not given up on the American idea or on the American possibility, and I ask my colleagues in this body not to give up also. ``I am convinced that our Nation still stands before the world as perhaps the last expression of a possibility of mankind devising a social order where justice is the supreme ruler, and law is but its instrument; where freedom is the dominant creed, and order . . . but its principle; where equity is the common practice, and fraternity the true human condition.'' prgtoken It is against that backdrop that I welcome and embrace both this challenge and opportunity before me. prgtoken Madam , I thank you and I thank the distinguished majority leader for his words of introduction.
Business Before the Senate (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-5-5

let me join our friend and my friend, the Senator from South Dakota, and say that I am glad to be back in this Chamber doing the work of 29 million Texans. I see the Presiding Officer and my partner, my fellow Senator from Texas, joining us as well. prgtoken I was listening closely to the Senator from South Dakota's recitation of all the things we have to do. There is no shortage of work for us to do, and there is no reason for us to continue to curl up in a fetal position in some undisclosed location and be afraid to go outdoors. prgtoken The fact is, the experts at the Centers for Disease Control, people like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx, whom we have seen on TV on a nightly basis, tell us what we need to do in order to function safely. It is the same thing that our grocery clerks and our doctors and nurses and, frankly, our law enforcement personnel are doing. We know how to do this and how to do it safely. prgtoken At the same time, we simply cannot hide out and not show up for work. What kind of message does that send to the American people? prgtoken We know this is an extraordinary crisis, an unprecedented crisis, and we have done some things we would never consider doing under normal times--appropriating more than $3 trillion at warp speed. I, frankly, think it is a good time for us to tap the brakes and to consider what it is we have already done and where we need to make some corrections. prgtoken Anytime you do anything this big and this fast, you are going to make some mistakes. We have seen that, and there have been corrections both in terms of the way the Treasury is administering the program, but also we have heard about gaps. For example, I have done a number of video conferences with our chambers of commerce around the country, and they ask me: Why did you leave the chambers out of the support under the Paycheck Protection Program for nonprofits? I, frankly, don't have a good answer for that. I said that is something we need to go back and fix. If we can't do it by Treasury guidance, then we need to do it by future legislation. prgtoken I have no doubt we will continue to legislate, but we need to do it smartly. We need to be here in person so we can have the interaction and deliberation and debates that are so important to coming up with a good product. prgtoken We have done some pretty extraordinary work in the last 6 weeks or so. Both Chambers have come together and quickly passed four separate pieces of legislation to strengthen our response to the coronavirus. prgtoken We sent vital funding to our hospitals. Ironically, at a time when our hospitals were the frontline of defense dealing with people with COVID-19, many of them were laying off employees because we had asked them to forgo elective surgery, which is one of the ways that they end up paying the bills. prgtoken Then we learned, in the global competition for personal protective equipment, literally every mayor, every Governor
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-5-5

when it comes to the virus pandemic that faces the world, the World Health Organization is not serving its member nations the way it should. The World Health Organization's mission is to promote worldwide health, to reduce the burdens of disease and poverty, and to provide access to healthcare, especially for the world's most vulnerable populations. The World Health Organization states as its guiding principle that all people should enjoy the highest standard of health regardless of race, religion, economics, social condition, or political belief. It serves primarily as a coordinating body to share information and best practices by connecting experts in different countries. prgtoken The virus that emerged in Wuhan, China, which has caused the disease now known as COVID-19, has had a devastating impact on the health of people worldwide as well as the global economy. Nations, including the United States, have been scrambling to deal with the impact of the virus since the beginning of the year. Without a doubt, worldwide efforts to combat COVID-19 would have been greatly benefited from independent, unbiased, and informative data from the world's leader in health, the World Health Organization. Unfortunately, information coming from this organization since the beginning of the year has left much to be desired in its often providing information that we know now to be inaccurate or at least incomplete. The American people and the citizens of every country--all of whom rely on direct and truthful information--deserve better from Dr. Tedros and his team who lead the World Health Organization. prgtoken China, which is where the current crisis began, has not done its part either in its seeking of or in providing that very crucial information that, had prgtoken it come out sooner, would have saved many lives. As an example of China's not cooperating, a doctor in Wuhan, China, by the name of Dr. Li Wenliang, raised concerns about the growing pandemic in early January. Dr. Li tried to blow the whistle on the spread of one of the world's deadliest diseases. Do you know what he got for doing that? He was punished by the Communist Chinese Government for ``spreading rumors.'' prgtoken Tragically, Dr. Li passed away in early February due to this virus, COVID-19. After the death of Dr. Li, he actually became a rallying point for Chinese citizens who were very upset about their government's coverup of this virus. Only then, after he died and after the public outroar, did the Chinese Government apologize to his family and posthumously drop Dr. Li's reprimand. Throughout this time, the World Health Organization demonstrated no interest in the accurate and verifiable information on the true dangers of this virus. prgtoken We now know that, in late December 2019, Taiwanese officials sounded the alarm directly to the World Health Organization about the human-to- human transmission of the virus. Prior to that, it was
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2020-5-5

one of the outstanding programs offered in the U.S. Senate recognizes the best of America's high school juniors and seniors. Since 1963, the U.S. Senate Youth Program has selected two students from each State who rank high academically, excel in leadership and volunteerism, and have a passion for public service. They also receive a $10,000 college scholarship. prgtoken These young delegates have come to Washington, DC, every spring for a week of education and tours highlighting all three branches of government. Unfortunately, like so many other programs and events, this year's trip to Washington was cancelled as our Nation faces the coronavirus threat. This is only the second time in the program's nearly 60 years that the delegates have not gathered in Washington for this memorable week. prgtoken As one of the eight Senators serving on the Senate Youth Program's Advisory Committee, I want to congratulate all who were selected to be delegates this year and assure them we share their disappointment they could not be with us this month. I also want to recognize North Dakota's two delegates, Megha Bharadwaj and Rachel Goven. prgtoken Megha is a junior at St. Mary's Central High School in Bismarck. Her leadership positions include being the State treasurer for the North Dakota Future Business Leaders of America and a board member and publicity director for AchieveWE. Megha has received top honors participating in school, district, and State competitions in Voices of Democracy, debate, speech, and Science Olympiad. In addition, she reports for her school newspaper, sings in the jazz choir, and speaks at community events. She plans to attend law school and enter the world of politics. prgtoken Rachel is a senior at Turtle Lake Mercer High School, where she is the vice president of her senior class and involved in Student Council and National Honor Society. She attended North Dakota Girls State and is a North Dakota rural electric cooperative youth leader. Rachel enjoys band and choir, yearbook, cheerleading, and basketball. In her church, she is a youth band member and camp counselor and is a willing volunteer for other community events. prgtoken I congratulate both Megha and Rachel for receiving this honor and welcome them to an alumni group of Senate Youth Program delegates who are 5,500 individuals strong. Many of them have gone on to distinguish themselves in every area of public service, including two of my colleagues, Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado. I fully expect that I will meet up with Megha and Rachel in the future as they continue to excel in academic and professional arenas throughout their lives.
ONGOING PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY IN EUROPE
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-5-5

. Madam , I wish to provide an update to my colleagues on the continuing activities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe--the OSCE PA--during these challenging times. prgtoken Not surprisingly, the pandemic challenges the OSCE PA to find new ways to conduct its work. International relations require engagement on both a bilateral level and on multilateral levels as well. It is likely that all gatherings of the OSCE PA this year will be online, through video conferences. prgtoken For example, last week the OSCE PA held a webinar on economic security and the COVID-19 pandemic. I participated in the event and spoke specifically on energy security needs, pointing to the continuation of Russia's predatory natural gas supply practices which seek to exert geopolitical influence. Europe needs a diversified supply for its energy sources. Too much reliance on Russia for energy can lead to market distortions and encourage corrupt practices, while alternative sources increase security and benefit the average consumer. prgtoken Last week a video session was held of those parliamentarians who comprise the leadership of the OSCE PA, which includes Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and myself. Guest speakers included the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, as well as the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic of Slovenia. As Chairman of the First Committee, I made clear that the committee will not waver from its crucial role in defending Helsinki Principles where they are most threatened. In this regard, I noted the public statement I made last week, jointly with my fellow committee officers from the parliaments of Romania and Lithuania, on the third anniversary of the tragic death of Joseph Stone, an American working on the OSCE Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. prgtoken Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland spoke at this leadership session as the Assembly's Special Representative on anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. He noted that disadvantaged immigrant and minority communities are made even more vulnerable by the pandemic, and that parliamentarians have an important role in responding to this problem during states of emergency. Our colleague from New Jersey, Mr. Chris Smith, also spoke in his capacity as the Special Representative of the OSCE PA on Human Trafficking Issues. He stressed how current circumstances make those vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation, including children, even more vulnerable. Coronavirus and its butterfly effect have also rendered non-government organizations less effective in their mission to help trafficking victims by operating shelters, care and counseling. prgtoken To conclude Madam , I want to stress that, while we may need to focus our efforts on fighting this pandemic at home, we need to work with our partners abroad to eliminate a virus that knows no borders and from which we ultimately can never fully isolate ourselv
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-5-5

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11 a.m Wednesday, May 6; further, 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; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Evanina nomination; further, that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time expire at 2 p.m. in relation to the Evanina nomination; and finally, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
Business Before the Senate (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-5-5

after a few weeks of working remotely to help flatten the coronavirus curve, we are back in Washington to continue our coronavirus response and address other important issues. It has been an incredibly difficult couple of months for our country and, in fact, for most of the world. More than 1 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus, and thousands have died. Our economy has taken a huge hit. Millions of Americans are out of work, and businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Americans are worried. They are worried about their own health. They are worried about the health of their families and loved ones, and they are worried about their finances. prgtoken My colleagues and I know that Americans are suffering. Our overriding priority over the past 2 months has been prgtoken responding to the coronavirus crisis. We passed several major response bills and provided substantially more than $2 trillion in assistance. We have funded testing, medical care, personal protective equipment for frontline medical personnel, vaccine and treatment development, paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, direct relief payments to American citizens, forgivable loans for small businesses, and much more. prgtoken Our goal has been to provide a comprehensive response, addressing not just the medical priorities but also the economic impact this virus has had on so many American families, and there is more work to be done. Right now a big part of that work is monitoring the implementation of legislation we have already passed. We provided a tremendous amount of money, and we need to make sure it is getting to where it needs to go as quickly as possible and is being spent in the most effective way. prgtoken Monitoring the implementation of the legislation we have already passed is also crucial for informing any future legislation. As I said, we have provided a tremendous amount of money for coronavirus, equal to almost 50 percent of the entire Federal budget for 2020, and it is important that any future funding be carefully targeted. We need to make sure that Federal dollars are going only to real coronavirus priorities. Our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill for the money we are adding to the national debt. prgtoken As a case in point, the debt to GDP, which was scheduled to be 79 percent this year, is now expected to be, in the Year 2020, 101 percent. That jump from 79 percent debt to GDP to 101 percent debt to GDP is the largest jump, I am told, literally, since 1943, in the middle of World War II. So it is essential that we spend wisely. prgtoken In addition to overseeing the implementation of the coronavirus legislation we passed and gathering data to inform any future bills, we also have a number of coronavirus-related nominations to consider, something that is a role that is unique to the U.S. Senate under the Constitution. When it comes to judicial nominations, nominations to the executiv
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Calendar)
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-5-5

let me first begin by saying that this is the first time I had a chance to speak on the floor about the Paycheck Protection Program since it passed. I want to say this unequivocally. Despite everything you read out there, in my mind, I don't think there is any question that by far this has been the most successful part of the CARES Act. prgtoken To put it in perspective, this was something we worked on in a bipartisan way. In less than a week, it was crafted, and then the agencies had less than 6 days to put together the rules. prgtoken Until Friday, April 4, no bank in America had ever made a PPP loan; no one had ever applied for one; and the SBA had never approved one. It was a massive program. We looked at the results. They are stunning--the results that we have seen. prgtoken Does the program have problems? Sure. I think any time that you create something that spends $500 billion, $600 billion that reaches over 50 percent of the U.S. economy and put it together so quickly, there are going to be unintended consequences. I will come back to that point in a moment. I think the biggest problem this program has had from the very beginning, which created some of these tensions that we read about in the press, is that it was underfunded from the very beginning. I mean, the demand was greater than the supply, even potentially right now after the second round. prgtoken We have heard the reports about publicly traded companies. We all know how we feel about that, and I am glad that is being addressed now. I also want to put it in perspective. They have taken 0.35 percent of the funds that were approved--not 35 percent, not 3.5 percent, 0.35 percent of the money that has been lent. prgtoken It is not like they took half the money, which is what the perception is that has been created in the coverage. Meanwhile, that means the rest of it went to somebody who is not publicly traded. That is an extraordinary achievement, nonetheless, and I am glad that is being looked at. prgtoken On transparency, they are all valid points. Myself--Friday, Saturday--I was really upset that we weren't getting those numbers. The reason why I want the numbers is, A, we want to make sure this program that we put our names on and worked hard on--all of us have--is reaching its intended audience and, B, the points that were made here as well, to the extent that changes have to be in any future funding, we want to make sure that future funding is targeted in the right way. The problem is--I was as upset as anybody. prgtoken I hope that the agencies are watching these proceedings now and understanding why it is so important that our Members have accurate details and regular information about how this program is rolling out. prgtoken What we do know, when they finally released numbers on Saturday, is that in round 2, the average loan went from $206,000 in round 1 to $76,000 or so in round 2. That is a stunning drop. I