mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I want to thank Chairman Pallone for his leadership of our committee with respect to all of these bills, particularly the health bills we are talking about today, and, also, Ranking Member Walden. As you know, many of these are bipartisan. They reflect the input and work of Members over a period of years. prgtoken I am very pleased that H.R. 2075, the School-Based Health Centers Reauthorization Act, is on the floor today. I introduced this bill with our colleagues, Representatives Stefanik, Tonko, and Upton. I want to thank them for their work and the bipartisan dimension of this effort. prgtoken This would reauthorize, as was indicated, Federal support for school- based health centers through 2024. These are institutions that provide critical primary and mental health services to vulnerable children and youth. ``Institutions'' may not be the best word. Teams of professionals, I think, is how you describe these school-based health centers across the country. prgtoken These health centers really marshal response to the needs of young people in schools in a way that you really can't replicate anywhere else in the community. That is why they are so vital. prgtoken They offer comprehensive healthcare to youth, delivering it in a setting where they already spend, obviously, much of their time, a captive audience, in a sense. Let's take advantage of that and provide the services that they need. prgtoken There are 80 school-based health centers in the State of Maryland--I am familiar with many of them, having visited a number--and over 2,500 of them nationwide that serve 6.3 million students. Many of these school-based health centers provide care to underserved communities. In fact, over a third of them are located in rural areas. prgtoken What the research shows us is that, when a student has access to a school-based health center, we see a decrease in negative outcomes, such as asthma morbidity and the rate of hospital admissions, while educational outcomes, such as school performance and graduation rates, increase. prgtoken Now, of course, the services that school-based health centers provide are needed more than ever, given the coronavirus pandemic. Young people are grappling with uncertainty and changes to their lives, and being able to receive care in a familiar and supportive setting is critically important. prgtoken Again, s for their support of this, and I urge all of the Members to support this bill.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 20201 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT-- Continued
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-9-29

I want to thank my friend Senator Cramer for bringing attention to this issue. I think he knows that the PPP program was included in the CARES Act. I take great pride in working with Senator Rubio-- and --and other members of our committee. prgtoken We were the architects of the PPP program. It was bipartisan. It was included in the CARES Act, and it was enacted in March. It is very interesting that if we would have gone with the original bill that came out of the s, it would not have been a bipartisan bill, and much of the help for small businesses would not have been there in the CARES Act. It is only through bipartisan legislation that we were able to advance the types of tools that are necessary to help America's small businesses. prgtoken I must tell you, the No. 1 priority today for small businesses is to safely be able to resume full operations. They need it to be safe for parents and their children to be able to get back to school. They need us to get this virus under control, so businesses that depend on large gatherings--such as food service, hospitality, events, travel, and tourism--can literally survive. prgtoken The House took its action to help accomplish these goals last May when they passed the Heroes Act. To this date, the leader, Senator McConnell, has not allowed us to take up the comprehensive legislation that will help our country, help deal with the virus, help our economy, and help small businesses. prgtoken Just today, Pelosi has updated the Heroes Act because it has been over 4 months since it was passed so that we now have a Heroes Act that is within the range between what the Senators originally suggested and the originally suggested. That is moving toward a bipartisan bill. That is what we need. prgtoken In the Heroes Act, there are so many provisions that are desperately needed for small business that are not in this unanimous consent request. Let me point out a few. prgtoken We need a second round of PPP. Businesses have suffered significant revenue losses. The hardest hit, the smaller of the small businesses need more help. The PPP program is designed for an 8-week pandemic. This pandemic has gone long beyond 8 weeks. prgtoken The House legislation includes resources for mission lenders, such as CDFIs and depository institutions. I mention that because we have found that when you rely on the 7(a) commercial loans in order to get forgivable loans, those who are traditionally underserved are not able to get the same type of attention--minority businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses in rural areas. We need to pay special attention to providing additional resources and allocations to mission lenders. That is not included in the unanimous consent request. prgtoken We need to expand PPP eligibility. We have heard from our nonprofits that were left out of the first round. They need to be in
HONORING THE LIFE OF GALE SAYERS
Sharice Davids (Democrat, KS) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of Gale Sayers, who passed away this week. A native Kansan, Gale was a revered athlete in the Sunflower State. prgtoken Known as the Kansas Comet, Gale played football at the University of Kansas for three years before getting selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1965 NFL draft. He went on to become the youngest professional football player ever inducted into the Hall of Fame. prgtoken Though Gale's career was cut short after a knee injury, he was still considered a renowned player for many years and inspired young athletes across the county. Many will remember his accomplishments on the field, but he also contributed to the community in other ways. At KU, Gale joined the student march for fair housing. Most notably, Gale spoke up about the pattern of head trauma football players face over time and its long-term consequences, a topic that was still relatively unknown and unstudied. prgtoken Madam , I am deeply grateful for Gale's contributions and I know that even in his death, he will continue to be remembered for generations. I offer my heartfelt condolences to Gale's family and friends.
SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , as the Founding Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus and a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2075, the ``School-Based Health Centers Reauthorization Act,'' which reauthorizes school-based health centers through Fiscal Year 2024 as well as make technical changes that allow more health centers, that serve medically underserved children and adolescents, to quality for funding. prgtoken First and foremost, I would like to thank Representatives Sarbanes, Tonko, Stefanik, and Upton for their leadership on this key piece of legislation. prgtoken In 2014, the authorization for school-based health centers lapsed. prgtoken By passing H.R. 2075, Congress would rectify this issue and help deliver primary care, including dental screenings and mental health services, to millions of American students. prgtoken These health centers are a powerful tool for achieving health equity among children and adolescents who unjustly experience disparities in outcomes because of their race and family income. prgtoken Improved access to school-based health centers is tied to reducing negative health outcomes, such as asthma morbidity and the rate of hospital admissions as well as increasing positive outcomes like educational outcomes, school performance, and graduation rates. prgtoken Across the United States, there are over 2,500 school-based health centers and approximately one-third of them are in rural prgtoken areas, which traditionally suffer from limited access to care. prgtoken The coronavirus pandemic has shed a light on the current disparities riddled throughout our health care system. prgtoken As an increasing number of students go back to school, schools are on the front line in terms of managing the pandemic, and school-based health centers will be at the center of that response, making this reauthorization more essential than ever. prgtoken We must utilize this opportunity to strengthen these programs with additional federal funding. prgtoken I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and pass this important legislation.
TRIBUTE TO JOHN SHIMKUS
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken John, it is an honor and pleasure to be here with our colleagues to salute you and thank you for the tremendous service that you have provided not only to people of your congressional district, but the people of this Nation. prgtoken It is very obvious that you are much loved and appreciated and respected by your colleagues in this House. It is also humbling to know that you have brought a good name to politics, and you have reminded us by your very actions and your deeply rooted beliefs in the various issues that you tackle that it is not only okay, but it is essential to have differences in this House; and it is to share those differences in a respectable way, which you have always done so as to build the best product. prgtoken So I think this evening we salute your integrity and your humility, which oftentimes is what I think drives your personality to be able to achieve and to have this driving force to accomplish on behalf of the people. I appreciate the opportunity to participate this evening, and I will try not to undermine John Shimkus' sterling conservative credentials by joining in this discussion this evening. prgtoken For 6 years, I have served as the ranking member to Mr. Shimkus' subcommittee chair. In the past 2 years, we have switched roles. But during all of that time, we have disagreed on many occasions. In fact, we are disagreeing right now, but that doesn't stop me from coming here this evening to just share my respect with others for you and the tremendous performance you have put forth on behalf of the Republic. prgtoken But as I have found, you have been tremendously accessible, very open-minded and fair, always looking for a way for us to achieve and to build that compromise. It has been a great partnership, even if we didn't see eye to eye on everything. prgtoken I will always appreciate that we would work together to try to find common ground on issues where we thought we could agree. I am proud of our bipartisan work on brownfields, where we reauthorized and improved that program. Certainly, the drinking water infrastructure efforts that we made is essential for our communities. We made some great improvements to both of those programs, and it would not have been possible without your leadership, John. prgtoken And while we have had some different perspectives on TSCA, I believe it is fair to say that Representative Shimkus has done some undeniably monumental work on chemical safety for this country. prgtoken His district and this Chamber are losing a great Representative, and Yucca Mountain is losing a frequent visitor. prgtoken John, I congratulate you on your retirement. I wish you and Karen the very best as you go forward. You have displayed to me tremendous qualities of character when you speak of your family, the love you have for them. It is just apparent in your face when you talk about them. You are so proud of that partners
SCHOOL-BASED ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ACT
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I thank my friend, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Mr. Walden, the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, for bringing this bill to the floor. prgtoken But, most of all, I want to thank my friend, Dr. Phil Roe from Tennessee. He is a medical doctor. He and I, as Mr. Walden pointed out, for many, many years have been focused on making sure that those children with asthma are safer in the school than they otherwise would be if the schools were not prepared to deal with an asthmatic or allergic attack. I want to thank Dr. Roe, who has been such a steadfast ally and partner in this effort. prgtoken I am hopeful that this bill will go to the Senate, and when we come back in the lameduck, hopefully, we will pass this and we will have another bipartisan bill that will help children and the school systems of America. prgtoken I am proud to be joined by Dr. Roe. It is emblematic of when you have a problem that is needed to be solved, Madam ; it is not a partisan problem. These are not partisan issues. These are issues that kids have, families have, and schools have. prgtoken We stood together on this floor 7 years ago when the House passed our School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act. President signed that bipartisan bill into law in November 2013. It encouraged States to adopt policies that require schools to stock emergency epinephrine and train staff how to use it in case a student experiences a severe allergy or asthma attack. Those attacks can result in death. prgtoken This is not just an inconvenience; this is just not an illness; it is a mortal challenge, and I am proud that we got that bill done together and we do again, today, the same. prgtoken This new bipartisan legislation would build on that earlier success, as the ranking member and chairman of have all explained, by providing additional incentives for States to ensure that American schools create asthma management plans for students who need them. prgtoken This is not a difficult task, I might say, and it is not an expensive task, but it has a lifesaving result. prgtoken I know all too well how terrifying severe childhood asthma can be. I was diagnosed with asthma at age 4 when I went to the hospital in Mexia, Texas. My father was stationed at a POW camp in Mexia, Texas, not too far from Galveston. So I know the consequences of asthma. prgtoken In addition to that, my granddaughter has experienced severe food allergies, a peanut allergy which is so much more evident today than it was, for whatever reason, and is life threatening. I have been with my granddaughter twice in the emergency room. Luckily, she got there in time so that her life was not in danger, but had she not gotten there in a timely fashion, it would have been. prgtoken Like many families, we constantly have to be vigilant and always keep asthma inhalers present. My granddaughter always keeps an EpiPen with her. She is 18 years of age, and s
SALUTING AMERICAN PATRIOTS OF WWII FOR SERVICE WITH THE CANADIAN AND BRITISH ARMED FORCES
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to formally honor the legacy of the Ohioans and all other Americans who volunteered to defend democracy, our nation, and our allies during the Second World War. These individuals joined the military by the thousands prior to the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt encouraged the volunteerism through words and initiatives, and Hollywood supported these efforts in feature films. prgtoken Notably, the responding patriots proactively fought the forces of Nazism and fascism before the U.S. was officially a combatant, which helped provide time for the United States to prepare. The practical skills and knowledge obtained through Canadian and British training and operations proved invaluable once our nation officially took up arms in Europe and Asia. prgtoken The intrepid volunteers from the State of Ohio included Edward Tracey of Cortland, Donald James Matthew ``Don'' Blakeslee of Fairport Harbor, and Dominic Salvatore ``Don'' Gentile of Piqua. Gentile has been often referred to as a ``One Man Air Force'' and the ``Ace of Aces.'' I would be remiss if I did not mention Frank Zavakos of Dayton, who was a member of the famous No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron of the Royal Air Force, a unit largely comprised of American pilots, who gave his life. prgtoken Madam , those American women who served in the British Air Transport Auxiliary are also deserving of recognition. Among this group was Bessie Lee Pittman, more commonly known as Jacqueline ``Jackie'' Cochran. Cochran was a pioneer of women's aviation and the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic. She was the wartime leader of the Women Airforce Service Pilots and in the postwar era the first female to make a supersonic flight. Another was Helen Richey, who in 1934 won the premier air race in Dayton, Ohio, during the first National Air Meet for women. Richey was the first female pilot to be hired by a commercial airline in the United States. Ann Wood-Kelly was also an ATA standout, receiving the King's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom and eventually becoming an assistant to the U.S. air attache in London, a public relations manager for Northeast Airlines, and the first female vice-president of Pan American Airways. prgtoken There are certainly more heroes to note. Kermit Roosevelt, the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, Jr secured a commission in the British Army. John Gillespie Magee, Jr enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and subsequently composed the immortal sonnet High Flight. William Meade Lindsley ``Billy'' Fiske III, who was the youngest gold medalist in any winter sport until 1992, died as a Royal Air Force aviator. Joseph Charles ``Big Joe'' McCarthy of the Royal Canadian Air Force flew on Operation Chastise, the famous Dams Raid. William Robert ``Poppy'' Dunn, either the first or second American ace of the conflict, served in the Canadian Army and Royal Air Force. Wi
ENHANCING GRID SECURITY THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ACT
Jerry McNerney (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-29

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken In today's cyber environment, it is more important than ever that Congress pursue policies that continue to support our grid infrastructure and secure it against potential physical and cyber threats. prgtoken This is an issue I feel very passionate about, as the grid is the backbone of our economy and touches every aspect of our lives. prgtoken Any vulnerable component is a threat to our physical and national security, as well as our clean energy future, making it imperative that we invest in grid modernization and security. prgtoken That is why I am proud to co-chair the bipartisan Grid Innovation Caucus along with my good friend from across the aisle, Mr. Latta from Ohio. prgtoken Together, we are focused on providing a forum for discussing solutions to the many challenges facing the grid and to educate Members of Congress and staff about the importance of the electric grid with relation to the economy, energy security, and advanced technologies being utilized to enhance grid capabilities. prgtoken Time is of the essence, as a recent report from the Congressional Research Service found that our Nation's bulk-power system faces new and evolving cybersecurity threats on a daily basis. prgtoken These cyberattacks can take multiple forms, such as a direct attack aimed at the electric grid itself or an indirect attack aimed at other critical infrastructure, which in turn could impact the operation of the security of the grid. prgtoken Recent cyber threats to the electric grid, such as the Triton and BlackEnergy attacks, have come in the form of deposits of malware on grid industrial control system networks, which possess the capability to damage or take over certain aspects of system control or functionality. prgtoken In addition to this, future cyber threats to the grid are expected to result from attacks directed via the Internet of Things devices connected to networks. As the CRS report noted, an example of such an IoT-based attack on residential or commercial thermostats could result in false power demand readings, causing a utility to ramp up power production unnecessarily. prgtoken Without proactive management of cyber threats facing the grid, utilities across the Nation will continue to be highly vulnerable to potentially significant attacks. prgtoken My bill, which I introduced along with Mr. Latta, assists us in this effort to bolster America's electrical infrastructure by encouraging coordination between the Department of Energy and electric utilities. prgtoken It accomplishes this by creating a program to enhance the physical and cybersecurity of electric utilities through assessing security vulnerabilities, increasing cybersecurity training, and data collection. prgtoken My bill would also require the Interruption Cost Estimate Calculator--which is used to calculate the return on investment on utility investments--to be updated at least every 2 years to ensure ac
PROTECTING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2019
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Yes. The bill before us, H.R. 561, seeks to crack down on the unfair practice of using veteran and service-disabled owned small businesses as pass-throughs for larger contractors to secure Federal contracts. I would like to thank Senator Cardin for working diligently on this issue and for his leadership as ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. I look forward to working closely with him to ensure this legislation meets congressional intent once it is enacted.
UNITED STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5373, my bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the United States Anti-Doping Agency. prgtoken As you know, USADA is recognized by Congress as the official antidoping agency for Olympic, Paralympic, and other sporting competitions in the United States. Among other responsibilities, USADA conducts drug testing for athletes, manages test results, and pursues bad actors who seek to undermine the principles of clean and fair sport through the use of illicit or banned substances. prgtoken Current funding for USADA expires this year. My legislation, authored with Representatives Johnson (R-OH) and DeGette (D-CO), would reauthorize USADA through Fiscal Year 2027. The bill also provides a slight funding boost beginning in 2026, to allow USADA to prepare for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. prgtoken In addition, this legislation would require USADA to devote a portion of its funding to clean sport initiatives for young athletes, and authorizes the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to cooperate with USADA in the course of its investigations. prgtoken As recent doping scandals have shown--particularly in the world of cycling--the abuse of performance enhancing drugs often begins at a young age. prgtoken Many young athletes, especially those with promising careers, face enormous pressure to gain any competitive edge available to them-- including pressure from coaches, trainers, parents and other adults. It is critical that these young competitors have the education and resources they need to surmount that pressure, stay clean, and stay healthy. prgtoken I am grateful to my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for advancing this legislation to the Floor, and I urge my colleagues to vote Yes.