mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Debra Anne Haaland (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2021-3-11

I am pleased to speak today on the nomination of Representative Debra Haaland to be the Secretary of the Interior. Her nomination was carefully considered by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which I am privileged to chair. prgtoken Her hearing went well, and it went for 2 days. Every member of the committee questioned her. Most asked her two rounds of questions, and some asked three. We then asked her 70 pages of questions for the record--nearly 300 questions, many with multiple subparts. prgtoken The committee questioned her closely on her beliefs, her opinions, the President's policies, and what she will do if confirmed. In the end, the committee voted to report her nomination favorably, 11 to 9. I am proud to have voted to report her nomination, and I am proud to speak in favor of her confirmation today. prgtoken While I may not personally agree with some of Congresswoman Haaland's past statements and policy positions, as Secretary she will be carrying out President 's agenda, the agenda that the voters elected President to pursue. prgtoken At her hearing, she confirmed that she and the administration recognize that our country will remain dependent on fossil fuels for years to come, and a transition to a cleaner energy future must come through innovation, not elimination. prgtoken She also affirmed her strong commitment to bipartisanship. She understands the need to work across the aisle to find the bipartisan solutions needed to address the diverse needs of our country and has demonstrated that she can do so effectively. prgtoken I was also deeply impressed by the strong endorsement she received by Congressman Don Young, for whom I have the utmost respect. Don Young has been in Congress long enough to be able to read people and know their heart and soul. He took the time and trouble to appear before the committee and testified to the productive working relationship he has had with Congresswoman Haaland and her willingness to work with him on important issues. That meant a lot to me, and I hope it will also resonate with my colleagues. prgtoken President is in perhaps the most difficult position a modern- day President has ever been in, bringing us back from the brink after January 6. That day changed me, and I feel strongly that with the deep divisions running through our country and the Halls of Congress today, we have to have people who have demonstrated they have the temperament and willingness to reach across the aisle. Congresswoman Haaland has demonstrated she does and she will. prgtoken As the President works to bind together a nation split by deep political, racial, social, and economic divisions, he is also trying to assemble a Cabinet that reflects the rich diversity of our Nation, one that looks like America. And 230 years after Washington called his first Cabinet meeting, it is long past time to give a Native American woman a seat at the Cabinet ta
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF BILLY ALEXANDER
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-3-11

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the life and service of Billy Alexander, a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly on behalf of childhood education in West Contra Costa County and throughout California. prgtoken Billy and his wife, Barbara, advocated for issues that affected children across our state. After Billy served in the Korean War as a member of the U.S. Army, Billy and Barbara returned to California and settled in Richmond to raise their family. Parents of eight children, the Alexanders took a direct role in the education process by first joining the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). This led to them participating in junior high and high school PTAs and School Advisory Councils, where they established themselves as a collective force for good in our community. Billy and Barbara would eventually become co- Chairs of the District Advisory Committee and spent 27 years in that role. prgtoken Billy and Barbara also displayed their knowledge of and passion for childhood education on the state and national levels. They participated in developing the California Strategic Plan for Parental Involvement in Education, and Billy served on the California Committee of Practitioners, which helped develop Title I plans for the state. He was appointed to the California Department of Education's Council of Black Affairs and to the Committee to Revise Title 5. Additionally, in 1977, the Alexanders won a California court case requiring school districts to ensure federal and state funds designated for Title I were actually used for that purpose. On a national level, Billy and Barbara served on the Board of Directors for the National Coalition of Title I/Chapter I Parents and on the National Council on Educating Black Children. prgtoken The Alexanders dedicated their lives to serving the needs of children in an effort to promote equitable educational opportunities. They touched the lives of countless families and created numerous programs benefiting the children and families of Richmond, including Vision of Hope--a weekend tutoring program that expanded to Summer of Hope, which operated as an alternative to summer school. They also created the Mother Hen/Chanticleer Awards to honor individuals who exceptionally served West Contra Costa Unified School District students. From helping parents become better advocates for their children to gifting books to students, the Alexanders worked diligently to create better and more equal opportunities for disadvantaged youth. prgtoken Billy and Barbara were married for 44 years until Barbara passed in 2001. Sadly, Billy passed away in November of 2020. Billy was a beloved resident of Richmond and a tremendous advocate for children and he will be missed. Please join me in honoring him for his many contributions to our community.
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--Resumed
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-3-11

I don't plan to speak long, but listening to my colleagues, I just wanted to make a few points. prgtoken Our former colleague, Representative Becerra, spent much time in the Congress--I think 12 terms--much of that in a position focusing on healthcare policy as a member of the Ways and Means Committee. I say that because I know so many of our colleagues, particularly House Members, have gone on to run Agencies, run Departments, be Secretaries of Defense, and, basically, they just had some congressional experience in that policy area. prgtoken So I am not sure why we are discarding that important policy background, consideration, balancing of those issues, weighing in on parts of our constituencies, as Mr. Becerra did. prgtoken And Mr. Becerra was the first Hispanic to be a member of the Ways and Means Committee. So I am pretty sure he brought forth a context to many of the healthcare policies. I know now that I bring a lot of focus on Native American issues to the Finance Committee because I represent so many Native Americans. prgtoken I think Mr. Becerra represents somebody who has a lot of healthcare experience and then, as attorney general, took on one of the biggest fights we need to have right now, which is the affordability of prescription drug pricing and the shortages that I believe are artificially created on things like insulin and other drugs that are spiking out of control the healthcare prices for Americans. prgtoken If you had to say, besides getting access to affordable healthcare insurance, what the second most important goal would be--or, actually, if you asked across the spectrum of millions of Americans--they would say it is the high cost of prescription drugs. And we have somebody who has taken on this battle and, basically, really understands what we need to do as a nation in lowering prescription drug prices. prgtoken So I just hope that people who are at home are listening. This is a unique individual who I think stands up truth to power many times in his career, and I think that we would be great if we have his vote and nomination out here on the Senate floor so the American people can hear more about the important policies. prgtoken If you want to vote against him because you don't want the Affordable Care Act, well, that is your prerogative. But if you want somebody who has just as much experience as any other Member of Congress who has gone on to run an Agency, I guarantee you he is as qualified, if not more qualified. prgtoken So I hope our colleagues will vote yes on this motion to bring Xavier Becerra before the United States Senate. prgtoken I thank the President. prgtoken . Vote on Motion to Discharge
COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT
Grace Meng (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-3-11

. Madam , at a time when all families are struggling with the threat of COVID-19, various communities are also suffering from the rise in hate crimes. In the last year, nearly 3,000 firsthand accounts of physical, verbal, and online attacks against those of Asian descent were reported. Asian Americans are fighting not just the COVID- 19 pandemic, but an additional pandemic of hate and bigotry. prgtoken One third of Americans have witnessed someone blaming Asian Americans for the coronavirus. Eight out of ten AAPI youth report being bullied or verbally harassed due to their race. Elderly Asian Americans are being assaulted--tragically resulting in even death. Online hate speech and cyberbullying against Asians has increased by 900 percent during the pandemic. This is horrific--and it goes against the moral fabric of our nation. We prgtoken must address these ongoing hate crimes and incidents with urgency. prgtoken That is why I reintroduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. My bill would designate a point person at the Department of Justice to expedite the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19, specifically crimes of violence motivated by the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19. My bill also includes initiatives to establish online reporting of hate crimes or incidents in multiple languages and to expand public education campaigns to encourage and empower ethnic communities to feel comfortable and report these incidents. prgtoken My bill also directs the Attorney General to work with Health and Human Services, the COVID-19 Healthy Equity Task Force, and community- based organizations to issue best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Madam , during this time of heightened anxiety and fear surrounding COVID-19, we cannot lose sight of protecting the health and safety of every single person--no matter their race, ethnicity, age, or background. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a necessary step to confront the second pandemic of racism and discrimination in this country. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to keep all Americans safe.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2021-3-11

last week the Congress passed and tomorrow the President will sign into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes $10 billion to respond to COVID-19 internationally. While this is a tiny fraction of the $1.9 trillion in the Rescue Plan, it is critically necessary. As long as the virus continues to spread and mutate into more transmissible and deadlier variants in other countries, it will remain a threat to Americans. prgtoken Within that amount, $580 million is included to support the U.N. Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 through U.S. voluntary contributions to international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and other international organizations. prgtoken UNICEF offers critical operations and technical assistance to ministries of health and education around the world as countries continue to adapt their health and education activities to meet COVID- 19 protocols. UNICEF also focuses on strengthening risk communication and community engagement to ensure that women, children, and their families know how to prevent COVID-19; providing supplies to communities and educational and health facilities to support the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, including WASH supplies and personal protective equipment; and ensuring that children and women have continued access to basic healthcare, education, child protection, and gender-based violence services, including ensuring access to immunizations, prenatal and postnatal care, and HIV care in an environment safe from infection by the virus. prgtoken It is obvious that UNICEF has a critical role to play in the international COVID-19 response. The same can be said of the World Food Programme, UNHCR, and WHO. I am pleased that Congress was able to provide additional funding for these and other international organizations to support their lifesaving work.
CONFIRMATION OF MERRICK BRIAN GARLAND
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-3-11

I rise today to voice my support for the President's nominee for Attorney General, Judge Merrick Garland, who is not only a fellow Marylander, but somebody I have known personally for many years. And I know that President has picked a nominee with impeccable credentials and unimpeachable character. His experience stretches from the halls of the Justice Department to the chambers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and he embodies the decency, the impartiality, and the commitment to justice that our Nation deserves as the Attorney General of the United States. I am confident that Judge Garland will serve admirably and faithfully as the next Attorney General. prgtoken The Nation already knows Merrick Garland because of his Supreme Court nomination and as the former Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he earned a reputation as one of our Nation's finest and fairest jurists. But his tenure on the D.C. Circuit was just the most recent achievement in a life dedicated to serving the rule of law. After excelling at law school, Judge Garland clerked for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and then for the Supreme Court. He then rose through the ranks of a prominent law firm before jumping back into public service feet-first as a Federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office during the administration of President George Herbert Walker and then later served as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice. prgtoken As a senior DOJ official, Judge Garland was tasked with overseeing the case of the Oklahoma City bombing, one of the deadliest domestic terrorist attacks in American history. It left 168 Americans dead and hundreds more injured. Merrick Garland brought a steady hand to an operation that involved massive amounts of evidence, pressure from the public, and a large team with diverse skills and backgrounds. With fidelity to the law and meticulous attention to detail and unrelenting focus, Merrick Garland helped bring the bomber, Timothy McVeigh, to justice. He has called this case the most important thing he has done in his life. prgtoken , ranking member, and committee members, we are going to need his experience as we once again confront the rise of domestic terrorism, particularly in the wake of the horrific events of January 6. And the next Attorney General must not only take on the rise of White supremacists and radical militia groups, but also ensure that justice is rendered equally and fairly by promoting and ensuring racial equity, rooting out discrimination in our criminal justice system, addressing police reform, and ensuring that we don't see a concerted effort to limit people's citizens' right to vote in the United States of America. As Justice Garland has himself stated, ensuring the rule of law and making real the promise of equal justice under the l
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-3-11

. Madam , yesterday, I was delighted to join my colleagues in voting in favor of the American Rescue Plan. prgtoken This transformative legislation will provide: shots in arms; kids safely in schools; needed cash in pockets; support to our small businesses, including restaurants and catering that have been hit the hardest; $13 billion to my home state of Pennsylvania; and $161 million to Montgomery County and $81 million to Berks County--where my district resides. prgtoken It should not be lost on us that we passed this relief in women's history month. prgtoken With over 2.3 million women forced to leave the workforce--including 1 million mothers--the time to invest and reinvigorate our economy for everyone is now. prgtoken As the first female Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, recently said, To avoid the long-term scarring of the economy later, the smartest thing we can do is to act big and so we did. prgtoken We acted big boldly. Sending resources to the poor and working poor, we passed $1.9 trillion for the people. Help is on the way.
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--Resumed
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-3-11

the Senate is now debating the motion to discharge from the Finance Committee the nomination of California Attorney prgtoken General Xavier Becerra to head the Department of Health and Human Services. prgtoken As chairman of the Finance Committee, I am going to begin with a simple message: Holding up the nomination of Attorney General Becerra has been blocking urgent anti-virus work that needs to get done now. So it is time for the Senate to act quickly, without politics getting in the way, to confirm this nominee. prgtoken I also believe moving quickly on this nomination will help to achieve something I heard a lot of Senators talk about over the last few days. prgtoken A few days ago, I spent almost 24 hours here at this desk while the Senate was debating a number of different issues. Over the course of that debate and in the weeks before it, many Senators talked about how important it was to get past some of the longstanding disagreements and find unity. prgtoken I will say to my colleagues: There could not be a more unifying prospect for America than ending this public health nightmare as quickly as possible, preventing as many COVID-19 deaths as possible, and helping the American people get back to the activities that they enjoy, that they consider part of their normal daily routine. prgtoken Having a confirmed Secretary leading the Department of Health and Human Services is a linchpin for accomplishing that task. The Department is right at the effort, at the forefront, to end this contagion. It is leading the distribution of vaccines. It is working to get PPE into the hands of nurses and doctors who still--still-- desperately need more of it. It is getting new resources to rural hospitals to keep them afloat and to keep their doors open to patients who literally had nowhere else to go during this crisis. prgtoken Health and Human Services is right in the center of the government- wide COVID response. They coordinate work at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with the Centers for Disease Control, with the National Institutes of Health, with the National Guard, with all 50 States, with the District of Columbia, with private healthcare systems and doctors across the country and more individuals and organizations that are just too numerous to name. Now, that is what the job is all about and why it is so critical right now. prgtoken I want to turn to some of what I have heard discussed with respect to Attorney General Becerra. I have heard some say that, well, he doesn't have the right leadership experience. That is a comment being made about the head of America's second largest department of justice. This nominee is in charge of a billion-dollar budget. This nominee is in charge of more than 4,000 employees as the top law enforcement official in what would be the fifth largest economy in the world. This is the work of somebody who really knows how to run a mammoth government agency.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-3-11

I rise to talk about the passage of the historic American Rescue Plan. This monumental legislation will help us get this pandemic under control and help families and small businesses weather the economic crisis. It includes critical funding for vaccine production, testing, and additional PPE. It includes the resources we need to help kids get back to school safely, enhanced unemployment to help workers who are suffering during this pandemic, food assistance for low-income families, and stimulus checks to help make ends meet with hours cut and expenses rising. It also makes long-overdue enhancements to EITC and CTC that will help lift millions of children out of poverty. And it provides resources to keep families in their homes during this pandemic. prgtoken First, it provides critical assistance for renters and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Before the pandemic, an estimated 568,000 people, many with underlying health conditions, were already experiencing homelessness. One out of four renters was paying more than half of their income in rent, leaving too many making impossible choices between essential expenses or even at risk of eviction. COVID-19 has both revealed and exacerbated these housing problems. One out of five renters reports being behind on rent, and renters were an estimated $57 billion dollars behind on rent as of January. prgtoken I am pleased that the Senate-approved bill includes new resources to assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness through emergency housing vouchers and homelessness assistance and supportive services administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as emergency assistance for rural housing for residents of properties financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service. prgtoken In addition, the American Rescue Plan provides $21.6 billion in emergency rental assistance through States, localities, and territories, including $2.5 billion reserved for high-need grantees. prgtoken This funding supplements the $25 billion in emergency rental assistance funding provided by Congress in December, Section 501 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-260, Section 501, but includes additional flexibilities to ensure grantees can better stabilize renters. The administration should again extend the Federal eviction moratorium that expires on March 31, 2021, so that grantees have time to distribute assistance to renters in need to prevent evictions and displacement. prgtoken With the emergency rental assistance provided in this bill, renters will be able to receive up to 18 months of financial assistance, including future rent and utility payments, including pad rents in manufactured housing communities, and unpaid rent or utility bills that have accumulated. Renters can also receive assistance for prgtoken other housing-related expenses necessary to promote housing stabi