mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF H. RES. 935, ESTABLISHING A SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Karen Bass (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , a few days after the last bill became law, stories began to surface of an extreme disproportionate death rate among African Americans in several cities, with a 70 percent death rate, while African Americans are only 20 to 30 percent of the population. prgtoken Some cite underlying health conditions as the reason for the extreme disproportionate death rate, as though this is a reason that nothing can be prgtoken done, as though we have to just accept this for now. prgtoken This bill begins the process of addressing the disproportionate death rate, but oversight and advocacy from Congress and the public will still be needed. prgtoken The bill calls for a report to be issued in 21 days, where we should have a better picture of what is happening and, hopefully, provide a roadmap. prgtoken The bill calls for reporting data on demographics including race, on the number and rates of cases, hospitalization, and deaths from COVID. prgtoken When the report is made public, it will be clear that communities with large African American populations will require focused and concentrated testing with rapid results, that contact tracing and early and aggressive treatment will be required, and that hospitals should reevaluate how they make decisions regarding who has access to ventilators. prgtoken Using formulas that decide based on who they believe has a better chance of survival will undoubtedly hurt African Americans and contribute to the disproportionate death rate. prgtoken When we gather again to pass another bill, we must include targeted resources that support aggressive interventions. prgtoken It is just not acceptable for the richest country in the history of the world to allow different populations to suffer like they don't even live in the United States but live in countries without the resources to protect its population.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise in support of this legislation. As a small business person, I am glad that it helps small businesses. As the husband of a physician who is treating COVID patients today, I am glad that it helps hospitals. But as an American, I am glad that we are coming together to help those whose lives are falling apart. We must do more, but let's come back together again and resolve to do this in a bipartisan fashion once again.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Conor Lamb (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , a Senator said yesterday he would let local governments go bankrupt. And while he said that, our local county executive was busy loading food into people's cars. Cars that had toolboxes and work boots in them, and people who were nonetheless hungry. prgtoken If the Senator has his way, it is these people whose towns will go bankrupt. He talks about the economy. And I asked, ``What happens to an economy where entire towns of firefighters and teachers and others lose their paycheck or their pension?'' prgtoken We are moving the ball today, but no one should mistake this for a touchdown. The Senator would send our best players off the field. The American people will never accept that, and neither should we.
SUPPORTING H.R. 266, THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM, AND H. RES. 935, THE HEALTH CARE ENHANCEMENT ACT
Alan S. Lowenthal (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , today the House will consider the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, crucial legislation to deliver resources our small businesses and health care providers need to confront the coronavirus outbreak. I will not attend House proceedings today but if present would have voted YEA on H.R. 266 and YEA on H.Res. 935 to establish a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. prgtoken This public health crisis has upended businesses in my community and across the country. Additional resources for the Paycheck Protection Program will ensure these businesses can retain employees and are ready to participate in our economic recovery. Further, additional resources for our healthcare system--including $825 million for Community Health Centers--will make sure these essential organizations can continue to serve our communities during this pandemic. prgtoken I am proud of the efforts of House to strengthen this legislation, including securing key resources for testing and allocating small business loans to community-based lenders that have strong relationships with local small businesses. prgtoken While I am proud of this bipartisan agreement, we must re-double our efforts in the weeks ahead to develop a relief plan that paves the way for our economic recovery.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-4-23

as we continue the fight to help our constituents and all Americans as they face the devastating coronavirus crisis, I am voting today in strong support of H.R. 266, The Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act, to help protect American families, workers, and small businesses. prgtoken successfully fought to improve today's interim emergency relief package by ensuring greater access for small businesses in underserved areas, and by successfully adding billions more in funding for testing, hospitals, and the PPE for health care workers who are caring for those infected by the coronavirus. prgtoken For small businesses, this final agreement strengthens the Paycheck Protection Program with $310 billion in additional funding, more than the $250 billion initially requested. were able to set aside $60 billion to help unbanked and underserved businesses get access to PPP funding, including minority-owned businesses, urban and rural businesses, small ``mom-and-pop'' businesses, prgtoken and smaller nonprofits. This $60 billion includes $30 billion for community-based lenders and small banks and credit unions, and another $30 billion for medium-sized banks and credit unions. The agreement also expands small business support beyond PPP by securing $50 billion for Small Business Administration disaster lending, which translates into more than $350 billion in loans, and $10 billion in SBA disaster grants. prgtoken For hospitals and health care workers, secured $75 billion to help pay for Personal Protective Equipment and other resources. The Administration has also agreed to key improvements to be made in CARES 2, including significantly lowering the interest rate on advance payments, lengthening the repayment schedule, and distributing payments from general revenues instead of the Hospital Insurance Fund. prgtoken For all Americans, we added $25 billion for testing, which is pivotal to reopening the economy and resuming our lives. The Administration has agreed to a national strategic testing policy focused on increasing domestic testing capacity, including testing supplies. prgtoken I am also voting today to establish a bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, which will help ensure we fight this pandemic with an efficient, effective, and science-based federal response which saves lives and spends taxpayer dollars wisely. prgtoken The legislation we pass today will protect countless American lives and livelihoods. prgtoken However, we have much more to do. Next, we must pass a CARES 2 Act that builds on the bipartisan CARES Act we passed last month, so we can keep helping our families, workers, and small businesses to stay safe, stay healthy, and make ends meet. prgtoken And because the Administration made the unconscionable decision to reject more funding for state, local, and tribal governments so they can pay their essential workers,
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I rise in strong support of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. prgtoken COVID-19 is a crisis with few parallels in world history. Yet I have been amazed by the resilience of my fellow Rhode Islanders: the tenacity of our small businesses and the dedication and bravery of our frontline healthcare workers. prgtoken This bill is for them. It refills the coffers of the Paycheck Protection Program, which is a vital lifeline for so many small businesses. Thanks to House ' efforts, it backstops our hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes and funds the nationwide testing strategy. prgtoken This cannot be the end of the work of Congress to help Americans weather the storm, but it is another vital step as we confront this crisis.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I thank Chairman Neal for yielding. prgtoken This disaster relief bill includes $360 billion for paycheck protection for American workers; $75 billion for our courageous healthcare workers and the institutions that they work at; and $25 billion for virus testing to bend, break, and crush the disease curve. prgtoken Sadly, New York's State, county, and local governments were kicked out of this disaster relief bill, and the Senate majority leader's arrogant advice for them to include bankruptcy is insulting and arrogant. prgtoken What we need at the time of national crisis, a national emergency, is we need leaders who possess goodness, humility, courage, and a sense that we are all in this together, a sense of national solidarity.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. prgtoken In order to reopen our economy and conquer this virus, we need to have a real count of who has been infected, but we still don't know the true impact of this pandemic because our Nation is facing a severe shortage of COVID-19 tests. That is why it is so important that fought to include $25 billion in this package to expand our testing capacity. prgtoken Also of critical importance is that this legislation has the Paycheck Protection Program set aside $60 billion in lending authority for small community lenders, helping the countless small businesses turned away by big banks, like my constituent Tony, a dentist who has had a business account with Bank of America since 1983 but was denied the opportunity to even apply for PPP. This set-aside authority gives our smallest businesses the resources and hope they need that they can survive this pandemic.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise to support the interim relief package. prgtoken Thanks to the strong leadership of the and our outstanding committee chairs, this bill helps our smallest small businesses, our hospitals, and a national testing strategy, which were not included in Senator McConnell's original bill. So thanks again for their leadership. prgtoken Madam , we also have to work hard to flatten this curve, and we have to do a lot more for America's working families. prgtoken In the next phase of relief, we need to include recurring direct cash payments to workers, additional small business relief, aid to States and cities to pay first responders and their healthcare heroes that are on the front lines, and even more in unemployment benefits. prgtoken Our response must meet the gravity of the moment. I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join with us to make sure we respond to this issue in the way that is necessary and not resist efforts to help hospitals, to help workers, to help expand testing, all of the things we know we need to do to defeat this pandemic. prgtoken Thank goodness we stood up. Otherwise, we wouldn't have $75 million for healthcare workers, $25 million for testing, and all of the other things which are in this bill to help the smallest of small businesses.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-4-23

today, I will vote in support of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 266--the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. prgtoken This legislation builds upon and makes a number of important improvements to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed less than a month ago to help our country continue the fight against COVID-19. prgtoken Specifically, this legislation adds more than $300 billion to the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which has provided a critical lifeline to small businesses around the country as we continue to deal with the economic fall-out from this global pandemic. I am proud that stood our ground and were able to carve out $60 billion from this fund for small and mid-sized banks, credit unions, and community-based lending institutions to help ensure that unbanked and underserved businesses can access the PPP. This includes minority-owned businesses, rural businesses, small `mom and pop' businesses, and smaller nonprofits that too often have been pushed to the back of the line for this program, while billion-dollar chains have accessed funding. prgtoken I am also pleased that this legislation includes $60 billion for SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Grant program. I have heard from dozens of businesses who applied for EIDL relief only to never hear back from an overwhelmed and underfunded SBA. This funding will allow these emergency programs to provide flexible assistance to small businesses and nonprofits. prgtoken Again, thanks to congressional , this legislation also includes an additional $75 billion in relief to hospitals and health care providers for expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19. While I believe we need much more than $75 billion, these additional funds will be crucial for helping providers who are bearing the brunt of this crisis, including Community Health Centers and rural providers who are facing layoffs and massive revenue shortfalls due to cancellation of `elective' procedures. prgtoken Congressional also fought for and secured $25 billion to expand our nation's COVID-19 testing capacity, $11 billion of which will go directly to states, localities, territories, and tribes to help them bolster testing shortfalls in their communities. Widespread testing is the key to fighting this virus, reopening the economy, and protecting the health and wellbeing of Americans so that we can safely begin to resume our normal lives. We also successfully inserted provisions to require the administration to finally create a national strategic testing plan that details how our country will increase domestic testing capacity, address disparities, and provide assistance and resources to states, localities, territories, and tribes. prgtoken This legislation is not without glaring omissions, though. Unf
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Yvette D. Clarke (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise today to stand up for the 15,000-plus New Yorkers and thousands of Americans who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus and to stand up for the tens of thousands of healthcare and essential community workers whose lives are on the line as I stand here. prgtoken Today, we are voting on a $480 billion interim relief package that includes $370 billion for small business loans and grants, $60 billion of which will go to mom-and-pop, underbanked, and cash-and-carry, $75 billion for hospitals and healthcare facilities and $25 billion for a national testing strategy.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-4-23

I rise in support of the Paycheck Protection and Health Care Enhancement Act. This emergency funding is the fourth bipartisan aid package to address the tremendous needs of the American people as we fight COVID-19 on both the public health front and the economic front. prgtoken The ic House has led the way to respond to this emergency. On March 4th, when the Administration refused to acknowledge the magnitude of this crisis, the House passed bipartisan emergency legislation providing four times the amount of funding for public health purposes than the Administration originally requested. A week later, the House passed the bipartisan Families First Act, which recognized the importance of free coronavirus testing and the need for paid sick leave and nutrition aid for working families. On March 27th the House passed the bipartisan CARES Act putting families and workers first, instead of a corporate, trickle-down approach offered by the Senate. prgtoken Today, the bipartisan Paycheck Protection and Health Care Enhancement Act continues the House's work to respond to the pandemic. It flips an insufficient proposal that left hospitals, Community Health Centers, and health care workers behind by nearly doubling the resources to provide badly needed assistance to them. prgtoken The legislation contains the following: prgtoken Small businesses: Adds $310 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Programs, reserving $60 billion of that funding for community-based lenders, credit unions and small to midsized community banks that work with the smallest of businesses. The bill also adds an additional $50 billion in disaster loans at the SBA and $10 billion in grants to small businesses and nonprofits. $75 billion for hospitals, health systems, Community Health Centers, and other health care providers, including funds for Personal Protective Equipment for frontline workers. prgtoken For all Americans: $25 billion for testing, the key to reopening the economy. Today, approximately one percent of Americans have been tested. This legislation calls for a national strategic testing policy focused on increasing domestic testing capacity, including testing supplies. prgtoken This interim funding package will assist workers, families, small businesses, hospitals, and all our health care workers. The American people have tremendous needs and I'm proud to support this legislation to help meet them. There's so much more to do and I stand ready to work to meet our historic challenges. I support this legislation and will continue to support swift action by a Congress that aids a scientific public health response to the pandemic and a worker-first response to the economic crisis. prgtoken Finally, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the sorrow being felt across the country as families mourn the loss of their loved ones to this terrible disease. In tribute to them, we do our work today.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Elissa Slotkin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I support this legislation as a critical lifeline to small businesses coping with the crisis and the hospitals on the front lines of this war. prgtoken SBA loan programs are vital to Main Street businesses across my district, and I am proud to support them. But this must-pass bill should also include support for America's smallest and medium-sized communities who face the very real possibility of eliminating basic services without our support. prgtoken The same police and fire, health department and sanitation workers who are risking their lives every day now have their jobs at risk. They deserve better. We should give them better. Let's do it.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Thomas R. Suozzi (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I support this legislation. I am concerned, however, that the banks are focused on big small businesses and have ignored the smaller small businesses seeking $100,000 or less. prgtoken I am asking my colleagues to send a clear message to the banks and to Secretary Mnuchin: We will be watching. We need you to fight for the little guys. prgtoken There are a lot of good things in this bill, including something we in New York have pushed for: money for hospitals based on the rate of infection. But we need more. prgtoken My three counties are in the top five in the Nation in confirmed cases. New York has over 30 percent of the cases and 30 percent of the deaths. Previously, this administration gave New York hospitals less money than Texas, which has only 3 percent of the cases. How does that make sense? prgtoken Now Senator McConnell is saying let's bankrupt our hardest hit States and local governments. prgtoken Madam , my State subsidizes Senator McConnell's State and has for decades. The grim reaper is telling my State and others to drop dead. prgtoken Well, I have a message for you: We are going to fight you. Most and s have put aside ideological differences for the common prgtoken good. We must continue to fight for New York, for my district, and for the little guy.
TRIBUTE TO JOHN F. (JACK) BARRY
Joseph P. Kennedy III (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the career of one of my longtime constituents from Millis, Massachusetts, John F. (Jack) Barry, and to congratulate him on his retirement this coming April after 40 years of service with the American Hospital Association. prgtoken Jack has held several leadership positions at the AHA since 1980, including a temporary assignment from 1993 to 1995 in Washington, where he directed the association's regional operations during the Congressional deliberations over national health reform legislation. Since 1996, Jack has served as the AHA's regional executive in New England. He has worked with the region's six state hospital associations and hundreds of member hospitals to direct grassroots advocacy on issues of importance to hospitals. prgtoken Jack has long had ties to both Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Born in Newton, he earned a B.A. in journalism from George Washington University in 1976 and an M.B.A. with a concentration in health care management from Boston University in 1991. prgtoken Jack looks forward to enjoying his retirement with his best friend and spouse of 38 years, Ellen Kelly, a retired nurse; his daughter Elizabeth; his son Patrick; and the host of friends and colleagues he has amassed over the years. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Jack Barry and wishing him and his family much happiness as he begins the next chapter of his life.