mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Reopening Schools (Executive Session)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2021-2-24

a year ago, schools began to close due to the coronavirus. Teachers quickly scrambled to try to figure out how they were going to teach kids who weren't there. They set up virtual classrooms on the internet. Parents started googling activities to keep their children motivated and active, but they didn't start that a year ago. They started 11 months ago. It didn't take long to figure out that kids at home are different than kids at school. And even before that, many parents had to start accommodating their schedule to try to figure out how they were going to deal with this new and unanticipated schedule. prgtoken Congress stepped up. On multiple occasions, we passed emergency legislation to get money to schools to clean classrooms, to buy laptops for students, and to do almost anything else that schools thought they might need at the elementary and secondary level. But what started as what I believe everybody thought was a stopgap--certainly no longer than until the weather got hot in the summertime as we finished up the last school year--has become, in many places, permanent, full time now, where students for a year have not been in school. That is despite a lot of widespread consensus that both scientists and medical experts think that kids can be back in the classroom. prgtoken The science on studying and learning is also clear that when schools are closed, students suffer. There have been a lot of studies to show that prolonged remote learning puts kids at higher risk for falling behind, for failing classes, for suffering from mental health problems, and, in many cases, just deciding not to show up. And, you know, the one thing about virtual is it is pretty easy to not virtually be there as well. prgtoken The risks on all those areas--the mental health problems, the falling behind, the failing grades--are even greater for students with disabilities or for minorities or people who live in generally underserved areas. A study by McKinsey looked at the toll prolonged remote learning has taken on students. It estimated that when it comes to mathematics, students, on average, are likely to lose 5 to 9 months of learning by the end of this school year. It said that students of color--this is according to McKinsey--could be 6 to 12 months behind at the end of this school year. Think about that. One year of remote learning could leave students 1 year behind where they should be in math if you look at these expert studies. prgtoken In addition to the academic damage, remote learning has led to an increase in mental health challenges facing students. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that mental health problems accounted for a growing proportion of students' visits to hospital emergency rooms. Visits were up 31 percent for kids between ages 12 and 17 and 24 percent for kids between ages 5 and 11, and according to the CDC, many of those visits are based on a mental hea
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2021-2-24

I come to the floor today, as I have done twice before over the past month, to sound the alarm about the new administration's attacks on American energy. Yet there is still more to talk about. prgtoken President has continued this assault on American energy as well as the American economy. Now he is taking that attack further. He is taking the attack on energy around the world as well as attacking the needs for energy of a number of our allies around the world. President signed an Executive order to cut off all loans for coal, oil, and gas projects in some of the poorest nations in the world. prgtoken Now, some of these nations are our friends that we work with and we try to help, and these are people who desperately need affordable energy, and they don't have it. prgtoken close to the administration have reported that what the administration and President are trying to do is to ``isolate'' the Chinese Communist Party. prgtoken The administration thinks that by refusing to make these loans to folks around the world, that the Chinese Communist Party will be shamed for using fossil fuels for energy and will shame the Communist Party of China for loans that they make to countries to develop coal- fired powerplants, natural gas plants, and other projects that use fossil fuel. prgtoken Let me tell you, the Chinese Communist Party will not be shamed. China has a totalitarian regime; China puts Uighurs in concentration camps. So I am not sure what makes President and his administration think that the Chinese Communist Party will be ashamed of using an affordable reliable source of energy--coal. prgtoken In reality, President , by this Executive order, is giving China a gift. President is giving China another advantage on the world stage and putting ourselves at a disadvantage, if you think about it. prgtoken If the United States and those that we fund through the World Bank refuse to provide loans to those countries to build the powerplants that they need, that is going to leave a vacuum. They are going to need to use the resources that they have--if they have plenty of coal or natural gas--and the Chinese Communist Party is going to come in and make the loan. prgtoken China already funds 7 out of 10 new coal plants around the world, and thanks to President 's misguided effort, that is likely soon going to be close to 10 out of 10. prgtoken Just like President 's other energy orders, this new policy will make China stronger. It will make America weaker. China will have more influence, and the United States will have less. prgtoken Now, this order is not going to hurt China at all. The people whom it will hurt are those who look to the United States for help and for friendship. It is going to especially hurt the 840 million people around the world who don't have access to electricity today. prgtoken Developing countries desperately need the electrici
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2021-2-24

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11 a.m Thursday, February 25th; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; that at 12 noon, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Granholm nomination; that there be up to 10 minutes for debate, equally divided in the usual form; and that upon the use or yielding back of time, all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; finally, notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture vote on the Cardona nomination occur at 1:30 p.m.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF SPECIALIST DERRICK AMELI
Angie Craig (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2021-2-24

I rise today to honor the life and service of Specialist Derrick Ameli, a member of the Minnesota National Guard from Savage, Minnesota. prgtoken Derrick was a husband, a brother, a friend and Guardsman whose service honored our community. Tragically, Derrick died by suicide last month, falling victim to the sometimes fatal disease of depression. prgtoken Like any ailment, no one is immune. Depression can and does take the very best of us. Addressing this epidemic is one of the Nation's most urgent challenges. But in order to combat this disease, we must first destigmatize mental health treatment. prgtoken In order to give our neighbors and our families the help they deserve, they need to feel safe and supported asking for treatment. We must begin treating mental health as the chronic illnesses they can be, for Derrick and for so many others who we have lost.
COLOMBIA FAILS TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2021-2-24

over the past two decades, I have traveled to Colombia more than a dozen times. On each trip, I have had the privilege of meeting human rights defenders and social leaders. prgtoken In cities, towns, and remote rural areas, these brave men, women, and young people have confronted violence all their lives, and they and their communities are targeted by illegal armed groups--paramilitaries, guerrillas, and criminal organizations. They have been targets of the Colombian military and too often harassed and under illegal surveillance by the state. Simply for speaking on behalf of others, organizing to meet basic needs, or carrying out the duties of their profession--teacher, doctor, farmer, lawyer, journalist, and pastor-- they are threatened, assaulted, and murdered. prgtoken During my last trip to Colombia, I spent a few days in the mountains of northern Cauca. I met with indigenous leaders defending their right to ancestral lands. I met with Afro-Colombian leaders creating small enterprises to support their families and their children. I met with demobilized FARC soldiers hoping to build a new life and future. I met with campesino farmers determined to stop growing coca and move into the legal economy. prgtoken We sat together, and we ate together. They shared their plans and they shared their dreams with me. They dream of a Colombia at peace and a Colombia that values all of its people, including those who have struggled to survive in Colombia's most violent rural areas. prgtoken Brave, generous, intelligent, creative, vulnerable, and humble, these leaders literally have bet their lives on the peace accord being fully implemented. They are counting on the peace accord to deliver the protection, economic development, truth, and justice it promised. prgtoken But the Colombian state has abandoned them, just as it has throughout all Colombia's history. The state has failed to put in place the individual and community-based protections demanded by the peace accord. The state has failed to dismantle the criminal networks and armed actors who daily threaten the lives of social leaders. The state has failed to identify and prosecute those who finance, profit by, and order the murders and violence aimed at human rights defenders and social leaders. Even worse, the Colombian state has chosen to remain absent from large parts of the country, failing to establish state presence, basic services, and leaving local leaders defenseless. prgtoken Since the peace accord was signed, over 500 rights defenders have been murdered, according to the United Nations human rights representative. Colombia's own ombudsman reports even higher numbers, documenting more than 700 murders during that same period, and nongovernmental organizations place the total even higher. prgtoken Rather than seeing this grim reality as a call to action, the government of President Ivan Duque has tried to obscure the number of murder victims. His government
HONORING DR. HEIDI SHRECK
Cynthia Axne (Democrat, IA) \u2014 2021-2-24

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Dr. Heidi Shreck, a pediatrician who serves as Chief Medical Officer for Primary Health Care, a community health center local in central Iowa. Dr. Shreck is a dedicated, trusted physician who works each day to support the health of our communities, and it is my distinct honor to name her Iowan of the Week. prgtoken Dr. Shreck leads with care and compassion, and she is committed to achieving excellence. If you were to ask any of her patients--or the parents of some of her littler patients--they would without doubt echo that her kindness, devotion, and concern for their health and wellbeing is at the core of everything she does. prgtoken PHC offers high-quality, affordable care to underserved and vulnerable populations in Des Moines, Ames, and Marshalltown. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shreck helps ensure these patients receive comprehensive health services, including medical and dental care, behavioral health care, homeless support, and pharmacy services. In 2019, PHC provided care for more than 38,000 Iowans. prgtoken Dr. Shreck has been instrumental in advancing the care-driven mission of community health centers in Iowa. When we began to see cases of COVID-19 in our state, Dr. Shreck led PHC' s early response efforts and coordinated with other healthcare organizations to establish a community-wide strategy. She has continued to lead our medical, dental, and behavioral health staff through the challenging circumstances of the past nine months. prgtoken PHC's staff--including Dr. Shreck--has gone above and beyond to make sure patients and clients received continuing health care from the onset of this pandemic. Their accomplishments are truly too many to list, so I'd like to highlight a few. prgtoken With Dr. Shreck's leadership, PHC medical staff rapidly adapted to providing care in new ways. For example, behavioral health providers worked alongside primary care teams to set up telehealth systems to meet increasing demand for mental health care among kids and adults during this pandemic. In the early days of the pandemic when most dental offices had to shutter, dedicated dental teams juggled work adjustments, staffing challenges, and new requirements for PPE in order to provide emergency care--which kept patients healthy while ensuring emergency room space remained available to treat those with COVID-19. prgtoken I cannot thank Dr. Shreck enough for her hard work and resolve in the face of this threat to the health of communities across Iowa. Despite the long hours, stress, and concern for their own families, friends, and neighbors, Dr. Shreck and her team keep showing up to provide exceptional care. They do so with compassion, dignity, and respect; their resolve is deeply humbling. prgtoken It is Iowans like Dr. Shreck who embody Iowans commitment to community and service. I thank her once again for her achievements, and it is my distinct honor to name her this week's Iowan
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 803, COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2021, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5, EQUALITY ACT
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-2-24

I will just say, I come from an area where so-called ``scientific management'' of forests has resulted in more forest fires, problems with water quality, problems with habitat. We are learning that we need to make different changes, and one of the tools that we have is extending wilderness protection. It strengthens the environment, protects wildlife, water resources, and makes them more resilient, not less. prgtoken It is not a matter of raking the forests, as said, but having an opportunity to allow the healing power of nature to provide those protections.
RECOGNIZING DR. WILLIAM ``BILL'' GOLDSTEIN
Eric Swalwell (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-2-24

. Madam , I rise to recognize Dr. William ``Bill'' Goldstein on the occasion of his upcoming retirement as Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and President of Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC on March 1, 2021. prgtoken Before landing at LLNL, Bill received a bachelor's degree in physics from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, a doctorate in theoretical physics from Columbia University in New York, and was a postdoctoral research associate with the Theoretical Physics Group at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. His first assignment at LLNL was in the Physics Directorate, where his portfolio included diverse national security and science programs. This positioned him well to take on supervisory and senior management roles, such as Associate Director of Physical and Life Sciences, then Deputy Director for Science and Technology, where he was tasked with leading the strategic deployment of LLNL's science and technology capabilities. He continued to impress and was named LLNL's 12th director and LLNS' 3rd president on March 31, 2014. prgtoken Under Bill's leadership during the past seven years, LLNL's budget and workforce have grown by 50 percent and 25 percent respectively. In fact, in 2020, LLNL was listed in the top ten of GlassDoor's 100 best large places to work in the United States. All of this occurred despite ever-increasing competition for talent from nearby Silicon Valley. prgtoken LLNL has experienced significant growth in all programs and operations with Bill at the helm. He has prepared it and its personnel to lead a new era of nuclear stockpile stewardship, ensuring that our nuclear weapons are responsibly maintained and keeping the United States at the forefront of innovation. Much of this is made possible by Sierra, a new class of supercomputer brought into the field in the last few years. Bill's holistic and multi-jurisdictional thinking continues to enable growth and flexibility throughout LLNL operations and our national security. prgtoken Most recently, Bill not only helped his LLNL team navigate the new workforce realities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he and his management team also did their part to make significant contributions to the fight against the disease, fabricating emergency ventilators, using 3D printing to fabricate nasal swabs, and providing predicted structures of a key COVID-19 viral protein to help accelerate the development of potential medical treatments for the disease. prgtoken As if all that was not enough, Bill has authored or co-authored more than 70 papers on a variety of topics while a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. prgtoken I thank Bill for his nearly four decades of service. Enjoy a well- earned retirement, and we wish him all the best while he spends more time with his wife, Kathy, and twin daughters, Emma and Sarah.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-2-24

I have 8 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on a nomination. Committee on Environment and Public Works prgtoken The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 10:15 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Finance prgtoken The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 10:15 a.m to conduct a hearing on a nominations. Committee on Indian Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 2:30 p.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship prgtoken The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 2:30 p.m to conduct a hearing on a nomination. Committee on Veterans' Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 4 p.m to conduct a hearing. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on a nomination. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 1 p.m to conduct a closed hearing.
DARFUR
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-2-24

I rise today to express my concern about increasing insecurity in the Darfur region of Sudan and to call for immediate action to prevent further violence and protect civilians. prgtoken As many of my colleagues will recall, in 2003 the regime of toppled Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir began a vicious and deadly campaign against his own citizens in the Darfur region. Millions were driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands killed and sometimes raped by militia armed and supported by the government. In 2004 Congress and the State Department stood united in determining that what was taking place in Darfur was, in fact, genocide. Three years after that determination, the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur, UNAMID, was established. prgtoken UNAMID has not been perfect. However, despite numerous obstacles the Government of Sudan put in place under al-Bashir to obstruct the mission's ability to carry out its mandate to protect civilians, UNAMID has provided critical support for the people of Darfur. UNAMID policewomen have served as trusted confidants for Darfuri women to report sexual and domestic violence, and UNAMID soldiers have provided a protective presence, deterring violence against civilians in areas where they have been deployed. Overall, the presence of international forces has reinforced some sense of security and stability for the hundreds of thousands of people in Darfur who remain displaced, so that that they can continue to live full and dignified lives. These efforts have come at significant cost both in blood and treasure: 64 UNAMID peacekeepers have been killed, and billions of dollars spent, in support of the mission. prgtoken With the fall of Bashir, many had hoped that the situation in Darfur would improve. However, those hopes have yet to be fully realized. Violence in West Darfur in late December of 2019 killed dozens and displaced an estimated 40,000 people. In January 2020, two separate violent incidents in North Darfur were additional indicators that all was not well in the region, as were deadly attacks on internally displaced camps in July. In January of this year, communal clashes in West and South Darfur resulted in the death of over 250 people and the displacement of over 100,000. These episodes raise the specter of a return to the catastrophic and genocidal violence that engulfed the region in 2003. But instead of redoubling its commitment to Darfur's long-suffering people at this critical time, the international community risks abandoning them. prgtoken This past December, the United Nations Security Council made the decision to dissolve UNAMID. Although it will retain a presence in the region until it completes its full drawdown at the end of June 2021, UNAMID's core civilian protection functions have now ceased. UNAMID is to be replaced by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, or UNITAMS. UNITAMS is a