mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DOMESTIC TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-3-25

I'm reintroducing a piece of legislation that I first introduced in 2017: the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act. prgtoken Back then, we knew there was an urgent need to address the crisis of hate and violent extremism in America. prgtoken In the years since, that crisis has only gotten worse, and Congress has failed to take meaningful steps to address it. prgtoken We can change that, and we can change it now. prgtoken Earlier this week, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on gun violence in America. prgtoken It happened just one day after a mass shooting in Boulder, CO claimed 10 lives and just 1 week after a shooting spree at 3 Atlanta-area spas claimed 8 lives. prgtoken During the hearing, I mentioned how these tragedies--mass shootings, acts of terror, hate crimes--they occur with such frequency, that we can't keep track. prgtoken Each life lost is added to our national tally of failure. A failure to save American lives. prgtoken And behind each number is a person. prgtoken We lost eight of them last week in the Atlanta area in a hateful act of violence. prgtoken Each of them had a name and a story. prgtoken Xiaojie Tan was a hard-working mother, wife, and business-owner. prgtoken Soon Chung Park was a mother and grandmother who loved to stay active. Her family was sure she was going to live to 100. prgtoken Hyun Jung Kim was a former elementary school teacher who had immigrated to the United States from South prgtoken Korea. She dedicated her life to raising her two sons. prgtoken Delaina Ashley Yaun was a newlywed and a mother of two, one of whom was an 8-month-old baby. She and her husband were getting a couple's massage at the time of the shooting. prgtoken Young Ae Yue was a wife and mother of two sons who looked forward to sitting down for a traditional Korean dinner every Sunday night. prgtoken Paul Andre Michels was a loving husband and a U.S. Army veteran. prgtoken Daoyou Feng had recently started working at one the massage parlors that was attacked. She was described by a friend as ``kind and quiet.'' prgtoken Sooncha Kim was a wife, mother, grandmother, and avid line dancer. She and her husband had been married for 50 years. prgtoken All of their lives were cut short by a lone gunman with hate in his heart. prgtoken How many more lives must we lose before we act? prgtoken How many more vigils, funerals must we hold? prgtoken How many more families must be devastated forever? prgtoken While the motives behind these horrific attacks are still being investigated, it is impossible to ignore that six of the victims in the Atlanta attack were Asian-American women. prgtoken It happened at a moment when violence against members of the Asian- American and Pacific Islander community has been on the rise. prgtoken Two of my colleagues in the Senate have shown tremendous courage in the wake of last week's attack in Atlanta. prgtoken I am proud to have Senator Hirono as my colleague on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I am p
REMEMBERING MARLENE BANE
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-3-25

today I rise to recognize the life of Ms. Marlene Bane. prgtoken Marlene answered the highest calling of dedication to her country, her State, and her local community. Along with her husband, Assemblyman Tom Bane, she carved out a unique niche in State government through a blend of intelligence, soft-spoken charm, organization, and, most of all, dear friends and prgtoken relatives. She spent a lifetime engaged in political consulting and nonprofit projects such as lupus research and the Jewish Home for the Aging. prgtoken Marlene worked tirelessly to improve California and serve those most in need. She was also well known and loved throughout L.A.'s Jewish community for her civic activism and support for Israel. prgtoken Marlene was renowned for mentoring an amazing number of our political leaders on how to serve constituents with honor and commitment. Up to the last week of her life, she threw herself into the cause of supporting candidates. She believed in the commandment of Tikkun Olam, that she must leave the world better than she found it. It is undeniable that she left those who knew her better off for having known her.
PPP EXTENSION ACT OF 2021
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-3-25

I rise in opposition to the Rubio amendment. prgtoken The policy that Senator Rubio is objecting to is implemented by the Small Business Administration to help the underserved communities. prgtoken During that 14-day period, 400,000 small businesses with 20 employees or less were able, at long last, to get PPP help. And almost half were first-time borrowers under the PPP program, those that had been shut out in the past. prgtoken But, specifically, the Rubio amendment, if it were adopted--and it is wrong policy--would require the House to concur. The House is not in session for 2 weeks. That could take us beyond the 31st of March, and the program would end, costing hundreds of thousands of small businesses the opportunity that--some are now eligible for the first time; some are trying to figure out the calculations. prgtoken So for all those reasons--and one last point: The Chamber of Commerce of the United States urges all of us to vote in favor of the underlying bill and oppose any amendment that would derail the expeditious approval of this measure. prgtoken Let's follow the Chamber's advice. Let's vote down the Rubio amendment. Vote on Amendment No. 1405
PREVENTING ACROSS-THE-BOARD DIRECT SPENDING CUTS
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2021-3-25

. If we are quiet, we will be quick. prgtoken I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and help ensure that our Nation's hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, and other healthcare providers have the support they need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken This substitute amendment that Senator Collins and I are offering is a compromise that delays the Medicare payment cuts through December 31 and ensures that the cost of this delay is paid for. prgtoken I hope you will support it. prgtoken Senator Collins.
Introductory Statement on S. 1000
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-3-25

this bill authorizes additions to two existing wilderness areas within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County, VA. This text represents years of negotiation and compromise among Virginia stakeholders who rely in different ways on the GW Forest. prgtoken In many parts of America, Federal land management is controversial. Some may view these lands as repositories for timber, energy, or minerals. Others may enjoy using recreational trails through them. Others may believe that they should be left to nature and not disturbed. The truth, of course, is that all of these uses are important; the conflict lies in agreeing on which lands are best suited to which purposes. prgtoken In the lead-up to the latest multiyear GW Forest Management Plan, various forest users came together to see if they could find reasonable compromises that would avoid years of unproductive disagreement and litigation. This group, known as the George Washington National Forest Stakeholder Collaborative, succeeded. Through hard work and consensus, the collaborative made joint recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service for forest management and protection. Preservation advocates consented to timber harvest and other active forest restoration and management in certain areas, while forest products interests consented to wilderness and light management in other areas. Following this fruitful collaboration, the Forest Service convened the Lower Cowpasture Restoration and Management Project, bringing together the collaborative and other stakeholders to help develop management activities on this particular part of the forest in Bath County. Again, this collaborative succeeded, with everyone getting some of what they want and giving some ground. prgtoken The collaborative has now come together to support the wilderness additions in this bill, which designates 4,500 acres to be added to the Rich Hole Wilderness Area and 1,000 acres to be added to the Rough Mountain Wilderness Area. I am proud to partner on this with my colleague Senator Mark Warner, and we are following in the path blazed by Senator John Warner and Representative Rick Boucher, who led the original Virginia Wilderness Act in 1984. I am further proud that this bill passed unanimously in the Senate last Congress and as part of a package passed the House this Congress. I hope it will cross the finish line soon. prgtoken Taking care of our Nation's public lands is good for the economy and good for the environment. Land disputes may often be contentious, but this example proves they don't have to be. When everyone comes to the table and invests the necessary time, we can find common ground. I hope this will be a lesson for us in other tough policy challenges, and I encourage the Senate to support this bill.
PREVENTING ACROSS-THE-BOARD DIRECT SPENDING CUTS
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-3-25

I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. prgtoken The bill before us today fixes a drafting error from legislation enacted last December. The unintentional error occurred accidentally against a longstanding rule under which California is able to use Medicaid funding to reimburse hospitals serving uninsured and Medicaid patients. prgtoken Today's bill fixes that drafting error. It makes no other changes to law and does not provide additional funds to California or any other State. CBO says that this provision has no budgetary effect. prgtoken Because of the sheer number of Medicaid and uninsured patients that receive care in California's safety net hospitals, Congress, in 1997, granted the State additional flexibility. It can use Federal funds it receives to cover hospital expenses for those in need. prgtoken If the Scott amendment passes, hospital care for half of the children in California and the vulnerable populations most affected by COVID would be at risk. prgtoken Please vote no on this amendment. Vote on Amendment No. 1411
PREVENTING ACROSS-THE-BOARD DIRECT SPENDING CUTS
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-3-25

it must be nice to be the of the House. Pelosi gets to push around our new majority leader and my ic colleagues, and they get nothing in return. prgtoken This bill is a bailout for Pelosi and gives California's healthcare system the ability to claim up to 175 percent of uncompensated care costs in their DSH Program while all the other States can only claim up to 100 percent of costs. prgtoken How is that fair to Florida? prgtoken How can the majority leader and my new colleagues from Georgia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona justify a vote that is unfair to their States? Well, welcome to Pelosi's U.S. Senate. prgtoken Seriously, how can anyone in this body, except, perhaps, my two colleagues from California, possibly justify voting against this amendment? prgtoken This is a very simple concept. All 50 States should be treated equally. One State should not be given special treatment over the others. This is a bailout for Pelosi, period. prgtoken I want to be very clear. I oppose any cuts to Medicare benefits. So what I am offering protects Medicare benefits, and the only change it makes to this bill is to strip out this ridiculous Pelosi bailout.
PPP EXTENSION ACT OF 2021
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-3-25

I thank the gentleman, my neighbor from Oklahoma, for yielding. And I thank the gentleman from Maryland, our chairman of the Small Business Committee, for his cooperation. prgtoken Our amendment will allow farmers and ranchers categorized as a partnership, including LLPs, S corps, to utilize gross income when calculating their PPP maximum loan amount. prgtoken It is no secret that our Nation's farmers and ranchers have faced incredible difficulties through the COVID-19 pandemic when we literally couldn't pay people to come get our cattle and hogs. In December, we made changes to allow farmers to use gross income in calculating their PPP loan. Before it passed, the payments were based on farmers' net income. This net income number is often low or negative because of the amount of depreciation farmers claim on equipment. These changes were helpful and provided assistance for much of the agriculture industry. prgtoken Unfortunately, certain farm and ranch partnerships, many of which are small family partnerships, were left out of changes made in the program in December. I believe Congress intended to include partnerships; however, the SBA, interpreting the statute we passed, did not. They made it crystal clear, short of legislation, they would not include partnerships under this new interpretation. prgtoken My amendment, in a nutshell, would let farmers categorized as a partnership use gross income rather than net income for the PPP loan. I encourage all my colleagues to support this amendment and help our farmers during this difficult time. prgtoken to the gentleman from Oklahoma. Thank you.
PREVENTING ACROSS-THE-BOARD DIRECT SPENDING CUTS
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-3-25

. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde- Smith), the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Johnson), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). prgtoken Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran) would have voted ``yea.''
TRIBUTE TO JOE HACK
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2021-3-25

every Senator depends on their staff to provide them with information and advice on the issues. Every Senator knows the importance of having good staff who can respond to the questions and concerns their constituents may have in dealing with the Federal bureaucracy. And every Senator believes that their staff members are the most prepared, the most conscientious, and the most caring people in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken I know that my staff is. I have been fortunate with the people who have joined my team to work for the great State of Nebraska. I have been extremely fortunate that Joe Hack has been a member of Team Fischer since my very first day as a U.S. Senator. prgtoken Joe officially joined my team as my communications director on that first day. He was not new to the Senate; he had first arrived here as an 18-year-old intern. On our first day in 2013, he immediately got to work with his new boss in getting out press releases, reaching out to State and national media, and helping me continue my practice of writing a weekly column for media back home. prgtoken Joe never missed a beat. He helped guide me through the traditions and inner workings of the Senate and through the tunnels of the Russell Building. prgtoken After 2 years, Joe Hack became my chief of staff, the youngest chief in the Senate at that time. Joe set the tone I wanted for my office: Be professional, take your job seriously, be honest, get along with your colleagues, always respond to constituents, gather all the information we need on an issue and then get more, and work hard. Joe's closing to every email and every staff meeting was always, ``Work harder.'' And he set the example for all of these. prgtoken Joe was involved in every major piece of legislation we have accomplished, from passing the first-ever paid family leave law to the FAST Act, our Internet of Things work, broadband, infrastructure, and agriculture issues. He guided the Omaha VA clinic from inception to completion, and he will see the Lincoln VA clinic open and the Offutt Air Force Base runway completely rebuilt. He knew the importance of securing funding for Nebraska highway and water projects and for the continued growth of our university system. He was part of every success. prgtoken Joe knows Nebraska, and Nebraskans know Joe. He knew instinctively that the people of our State are why we do this work. We represent them. Joe has attended statehood dinners in our Capitol Rotunda, driven a combine in Grand Island, had meals at Ole's Big Game Bar, and gone to Husker tailgates and games. He loves browsing at Cabela's and a good meal at Rosita's. He knows which Nebraska hotels have the best gym, where every Runza drive-thru is located in the State, and where to find the best steaks. He has shared BBQ at our ranch with family, neighbors and the U.S. Secretary of Ag. He is also addicted to Colby Ridge popcorn balls. He buys them in bulk, and he doesn't share.
PPP EXTENSION ACT OF 2021
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-3-25

. The deficit has gone from $3 trillion last year; it will be $3.5 trillion this year. prgtoken In Washington, every day is a good day to spend money. Big spenders like to say the Federal Government is no different than a family budget. We have the Federal Reserve that can print money to buy our debt, but all that does is cause inflation. Even with inflation not spiking, we have lost 17 percent of the dollar over the last several years. prgtoken Who is responsible for the $30 trillion debt? s? ? The answer is yes and yes. Both parties are to blame. The vote I have called for is a litmus test for fiscal responsibility. Anyone who cares about the debt should vote to enforce the pay-go rule. prgtoken According to the CBO, the bill before us will increase the deficit by $15 billion in fiscal year 2021; therefore, I raise a point of order against the measure pursuant to section 404(a) of S. Con. Res. 13 of the 111th Congress.
PPP EXTENSION ACT OF 2021
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2021-3-25

I rise to urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act of 2021. It is imperative that we act immediately to pass this bill because we are just days away from the PPP being closed to applications for assistance. This bill mirrors legislation I introduced with my colleagues, Senators Cardin and Shaheen, which is cosponsored by Senators Marshall, Sullivan, Rosen, Murkowski, Leahy, Wyden, Tillis, Ossoff, Capito, Merkley, Heinrich, Portman, Klobuchar, and Manchin. prgtoken Last March, Senators Rubio, Cardin, Shaheen, and I crafted the Paycheck Protection Program, PPP--a forgivable loan program designed to help keep small employers afloat and their employees paid during the pandemic. prgtoken The bipartisan bill we are considering today would simply extend the current application deadline for new PPP loans from March 31 to May 31 of this year and then provide an additional 30-day period during which time the Small Business Administration may continue processing applications received prior to the new May 31 deadline. This bipartisan bill passed the House last week by an overwhelming margin of 415 to 3. prgtoken The PPP has been a lifeline for small businesses in Maine and across the country, providing the support they need to survive the pandemic and continue paying their employees. In 2020, more than 5 million small employers received forgivable PPP loans, helping to sustain upwards of 50 million American jobs. This included more than 28,000 Maine small businesses, which received nearly $2.3 billion in forgivable PPP loans. The average loan size in Maine during this time was $80,000. prgtoken Recognizing the importance of this program for our Nation's small employers, the bipartisan December 2020 COVID-relief law provided an additional $284.5 billion to reopen the Paycheck Protection Program and allow the hardest hit small employers to receive a second forgivable loan. The December law also made other improvements to the PPP, such as expanding forgivable overhead expenses to include supplier costs and investments in facility modifications and personal protective equipment needed to operate safely. prgtoken Since reopening in January, more than 3.1 million additional forgivable loans--totaling nearly $196 billion--have been approved for small businesses across the country. In Maine, more than 12,700 small employers have prgtoken been approved for $797 million in forgivable loans since PPP's reopening. In total, Maine small employers have been approved for upwards of $3 billion in forgivable loans since the program was created last year. prgtoken I have heard from numerous small employers about the impact this program has had on them and their employees. The PPP has helped the owners of Pottle Transportation in Hermon, Anglers Restaurants in Hampden, and the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport keep their businesses alive and their employees paid. Hodgdon, America's oldest boat builde
PPP EXTENSION ACT OF 2021
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-3-25

the crisis on our southern border continues to escalate. CBP is tracking the largest surge in migrant apprehensions in 20 years. Unaccompanied children are literally piling up in close quarters. It turns out when politicians spend a 2-year campaign advertising amnesty, people actually listen. As one senior CBP official said, there is ``no end in sight.'' No end in sight. prgtoken The administration still refuses to even admit there is a crisis, much less address it. We keep hearing strange mixed messaging from the White House prgtoken podium like ``now is not the time to come,'' as if there will be a good time to break the law and come illegally, and the White House will let us all know when that time is, I assume. prgtoken The Washington Post put it gently: ``Administration officials have been plagued by muddled messaging.'' Boy, that is an understatement. But actually, when you look at ' actions, the message isn't mixed at all. That is the problem. For months on the campaign trail, President spoke directly to potential migrants. At one point, he said, ``You want to flee . . . you should come.'' That was President . prgtoken President Lopez Obrador of Mexico himself stated this week that President 's campaign created expectations that ``caused Central American migrants, and also from our country, wanting to cross the border, thinking that it is easier to do so.'' That was the President of Mexico. prgtoken On Inauguration Day, the President followed through--five Executive orders to roll back immigration enforcement and open up the border. The administration wasted no time rolling back the policies from the prior administration that had guarded against this exact outcome. South of the border, message received. Some migrants are arriving with campaign flags and T-shirts. One arriving person said, `` promised us that everything was going to change.'' prgtoken So what about the here in Congress? Are the House rising to the occasion with solutions? Well, not exactly. They prioritized passing another amnesty bill. They doubled down on the wrong direction and the wrong incentives. prgtoken The situation is raising eyebrows among ' own rank and file. As one Texas put it, ``When you create a system that incentivizes people to come across . . . that immediately sends a message.'' prgtoken Here, in the Senate, our ic colleagues decided to go the route of obstruction. Yesterday, s tried to pass serious proposals to help address parts of the immigration system. rejected every single one of them. prgtoken Senator Ernst had a proposal to require detention for migrants charged with violent crimes. It is not exactly a radical idea. blocked it. prgtoken Senator Cruz had legislation to raise the stakes for repeated illegal entry. It is not exactly rocket science. blocked that one too. prgtoken Se