mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
Mikie Sherrill (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam , I rise today in opposition to the motion to recommit offered by the gentlewoman from North Carolina. prgtoken There are few things that define us as a country more distinctly than the idea of the American Dream: the idea that anyone can make it here through hard work and dedication. That dream rests on giving people a fair shot. prgtoken Right now, too many people in this country just aren't getting a fair shot, and women in this country face additional barriers because they simply are not paid equally for their work. prgtoken Madam , this bill, H.R. 7, supports paycheck fairness because equal pay for equal work is about respect, and in New Jersey we know respect. I know what paycheck fairness looks like because we just passed it in New Jersey. It is high time that Congress ensures these commonsense values for the rest of the women across this country. prgtoken I have listened to objections raised today that women already have protections for equal pay. Well, let me assure you that the protections in our laws are not adequate. prgtoken I rise today, Madam , for women who are earning just 80 cents on every dollar. I rise for our African American women who are only earning 61 cents on the dollar. I rise today for Hispanic women who are only earning 53 cents on the dollar. prgtoken Madam , I rise today for American women and for their families so we can give them a fair shot, like a woman in my district who, despite being a single mom helping to pay off her children's college debt, was passed over for a raise because her male coworker had a family to support, or another who found that she was being paid less than her male coworkers after years of performing the same job and with the same seniority. And, Madam , I am fighting today for my two daughters so they have the same opportunities and the same rights as my two sons. prgtoken In the House, we know what our coworkers are making. We can look it up. We need our constituents to have that same opportunity. prgtoken Madam , I have joined my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in the past on their motions. I believe deeply in the need for this body to come together today to focus on issues that matter to our families. It is time for my colleagues to now join me, because supporting women, supporting families, and supporting the American Dream is a shared value. prgtoken I know in New Jersey the equal pay bill passed with broad bipartisan support. In fact, in the entire State senate prgtoken and assembly, there were only two people who voted against it. prgtoken If there were ever a moment, if there were ever a bill, if there were ever a time to put obstruction aside, it is now. The motion put forth has nothing to do with equal pay, and I urge my colleagues to reject it.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-3-27

I rise today to join again my colleagues to speak of the need for bipartisan action to address climate warming. prgtoken Throughout the past year, we have received warning after warning about the warming and about the devastating consequences of climate change that are coming much sooner than some people actually expected. prgtoken I remember when I first got to the Senate. I was part of the Environment Committee, and we had military leaders come to speak. We had scientists, and they basically predicted everything that we have seen coming, from the wildfires in the West to the rising ocean levels, to weird weather events like more tornadoes, to the type of flooding that we are seeing in the Midwest as we speak and the type of flooding we have seen in Florida as a result of hurricanes. prgtoken They also talked about the economic consequences of this. I think it is really important that people don't see this as environment versus economics. If we do nothing, the economics are bad. If we do nothing, we are going to continue to see homeowners' insurance increase, like we have nationwide--a 50-percent increase in the last 10 years. prgtoken If we do something and we do it right and we do it smartly, we are going to see a bunch of new jobs in the field of green energy. We are going to see more solar. We are going to see more wind. We are going to see a whole new industry of an electric grid and things that we need to do to bring down greenhouse gases and be a leader once again in energy for the world. prgtoken Last October, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a special report explaining the potential impact of climate change if the Earth warms 1.5 degrees Celsius above historic global temperature levels dating back to before the Industrial Revolution started. That report predicted that in just over 20 years, we could see even more of what we have seen this last year: persistent drought, food shortages, worsening wildfires, and increased flooding-- damage that could cost an estimated $54 trillion. prgtoken Then, in November, the ``Fourth National Climate Assessment'' issued a special report that concluded that without significant global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate change will threaten the health and safety of people, will slow economic growth, will damage our Nation's infrastructure, which we are seeing right now in the Midwest, and will impede the production of energy and food. prgtoken Finally, in January of this year, the U.S. Department of Defense released a report on the effects of a changing climate to U.S. military installations and their operational viability. All of these experts-- yes, scientists, and, yes, military leaders--have made it clear that inaction is not an option for our economy, for our environment, for our country, or for our world. prgtoken Military and security experts have repeatedly reminded us that climate change is a threa
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-3-27

what a moment of tremendous pride it is to be here in the 116th Congress under a ic majority as we finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. prgtoken I rise in strong support of this bill, and I thank Chairman Scott for his tremendous leadership in shepherding this bill to the floor. prgtoken I also thank the author of H.R. 7, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who has been a champion for women's rights her entire career. The Paycheck Fairness Act is a testament to her tireless dedication to the eradication of the gender pay gap, and it is by her leadership that we are here today on the verge of obtaining a more equitable workforce. prgtoken I also thank Congresswoman Waters, who has long advocated for and fought for pay equity and been a beacon of courage for women across this country. prgtoken We passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, which made it illegal to discriminate based on sex when men and women are performing jobs that require substantially equal effort, skill, and responsibility. We followed that up with title 7 of the Civil Rights Act, which, among other things, made it illegal to discriminate based on sex. And then 10 years ago, we passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which made it clear that every single inadequate paycheck a woman receives is a new act of discrimination. And yet, inequality persisted. prgtoken Today, women are paid, on average, only 80 cents for every dollar paid to men, resulting in a gap of $10,169 per woman, per year. And that pay gap doesn't discriminate. It exists in all occupations, locales, and regardless of education or work history. prgtoken The Paycheck Fairness Act seeks to eliminate this gap by picking up where the Equal Pay Act of 1963 left off and strengthening protections for women in the workplace against retaliation, discriminatory screening, and legal obstacles to justice. This amendment to H.R. 7 will ensure that the data collected on behalf of the legislation will be inclusive of all races and ethnicities. prgtoken Pursuant to section 6 of H.R. 7, the Secretary of Labor must conduct studies as well as provide information to employers and the general public concerning the means by which gender pay disparities can be eliminated. These studies are a critical step forward towards closing the pay gap. prgtoken This amendment would clarify that these Department of Labor studies mandated by section 6 of the underlying bill must include not just information regarding pay disparities between men and women generally, but specifically for women of every racial and ethnic background. prgtoken , in order to empower all women, we must continue to highlight the specific barriers faced by and the needs of women of color in the workforce. prgtoken In 2017, the gender wage gap widened for women of color. While research found that women made 80 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men, women of color fared much worse than average: Black women were paid o
HONORING THE LIFE OF BELOVED CAPITAL REGION EDUCATOR ERNEST D. STECK
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam , I rise today to honor the legacy of beloved community leader, veteran and educator Ernest D. Steck who passed away in February. prgtoken Mr. Steck was a symbol of virtue and discipline to many in our Capital Region Our community owes him a debt of gratitude for his commitment to educating and shaping the minds of the young men under his tutelage, both in his history classroom and on the football field. prgtoken Ernest was born in Rock Island, Illinois and grew up in Chicago and Brooklyn during the Great Depression He enlisted and served in the U.S. Army during World War II and fought in the Pacific Theater. After the war, he went back to school to earn his undergraduate and advanced degrees in physical education at the University of Iowa. prgtoken After brief stints teaching in Bridgeport, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island, Ernest moved to Albany and brought his love of teaching to the Albany Academy, where he taught from 1953 to 1991. He also coached football, basketball, track, and tennis Each discipline provided a welcome opportunity for Ernest to share the principles that guided his life: the importance of hard work, discipline, and integrity. These earned him the respect of his colleagues and students. Classrooms were known to fall silent before he arrived while students waited eagerly for him to speak. prgtoken Ernest's legacy of service earned him a promotion to athletic director and a spot in the Capital Region Hall of Fame in August of 2014. If not reminding his teams that ``cool heads win games,'' he could be found virtually silent on the sidelines He believed in allowing the students to call their own plays, giving them a chance to develop team unity and trust. His creative approaches worked time and time again. In 1970, the Albany Academy football team won the State Championship for small high schools. He led a record-achieving championship streak until 1982. Students he coached referred to themselves as ``Ernie's Boys,'' a moniker that denoted their respect and appreciation Even to people who never stepped foot on a court or entered an arena, Ernest was legendary. prgtoken Above all, Ernest was a proud family man His legacy lives on in his sons David and Phillip and grandchildren Kaylee, James, Alexandra, and Aaron He was laid to rest in late February alongside his wife Roselyn. To those who knew him, loved him, and were made better by his presence, I offer my sincere condolences. prgtoken May we all take inspiration from the incredible service and courage of Ernest Steck and honor his legacy for years to come.
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam Chair, our colleagues say the Paycheck Fairness Act is unnecessary, a boom for trial attorneys and a burden on employers, but once again the latest numbers tell a different story. American women continue to lag far behind fair pay for equal work. prgtoken The latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau once again revealed that American women working full-time, year-round, are typically paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. The pay gaps are even more severe for women of color: 61 cents for African American women and 53 cents for Latina women. prgtoken Women take home less money than they have rightfully earned in every industry, no matter what they do, how high their level of education, or where they are from. prgtoken Not only is this a matter of basic equality, economic justice and freedom, it also compounds and is a significant issue impacting women's retirement security. prgtoken The Paycheck Fairness Act provides a long-overdue remedy to the 1963 Equal Pay Act. It will give women the tools needed to successfully challenge pay discrimination and to incentivize employers to comply with the law. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to support its passage.
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam Chair, the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam Chair, I just want to make a couple of closing comments. prgtoken We have heard speaker after speaker complain that, if this bill passes, lawyers will get paid. Most lawyers, in fact, only get paid when they have a winning case; so if they want lawyers to stop getting paid, they could do this if we would stop discriminating. prgtoken The only way to enforce the laws against discrimination is to hire a lawyer and go to court, and that is when lawyers get paid. Stop the discrimination; stop the lawyers from getting paid. prgtoken There is also a suggestion that we ought to limit the amount of money that can be paid to lawyers. The fact is that no group supporting women support that limitation because the limitation sometimes can be so low that you can't hire a lawyer. It is only supported by groups supporting those representing people accused of discrimination. prgtoken It is also one-sided. There is no proposal to limit the amount of money that the guilty can pay their lawyers. prgtoken A comment was made about unlimited damages. The damages, in fact, in this bill are the same as you can get under race and religious discrimination, and the purpose of the bill is to conform the process for gender discrimination to the process for other forms of discrimination like race and religion. prgtoken The EEOC data, as my colleague from Virginia pointed out, is available, and if you do not report this data, you could have gross disparities. You could pay all the men one thing and all the women less, and until that is reported, nobody might notice. prgtoken Madam Chair, there are pay gaps. Discrimination still exists, and this legislation is one step in closing that pay gap. We need to pass the legislation. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
REPEALING AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WOULD HAVE HARMFUL REPERCUSSIONS
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam , today, I want to share the story of a family in my district. In 2015, the Cerrato family was in the NICU, fighting for the life of their son Ethan. At just 10 days old, he had undergone two major surgeries, had been the subject of dozens of procedures, and had spent the first days of his life traumatized and struggling through pain. prgtoken After only 10 days, the Cerrato family had accumulated a hospital bill of over $250,000. While little Ethan was fighting for his life, Christine and Matthew Cerrato were grappling with the thought of filing for bankruptcy. prgtoken At this moment, the question became: What could they rely on? The answer was the Affordable Care Act, which was passed into law this week 9 years ago. prgtoken Earlier this week, the Department of Justice called on the Federal courts to overturn the ACA in its entirety, the latest attack from this administration on the affordable healthcare of millions of families, including many in my State of Colorado and in my district. prgtoken These relentless efforts to repeal this law would have harmful impacts on families across the country, like the Cerrato family. prgtoken We cannot move backward on the progress we have made to provide affordable healthcare to American families. Instead, we must move forward to lower drug prices, to lower the cost of healthcare, and to ensure that Colorado families and families all over America can get the care they need.
WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME COMMEMORATIVE COIN
Joseph D. Morelle (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam , in honor of the final week of Women's History Month, I am proud to join a group of bipartisan colleagues in introducing the National Women's Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act. prgtoken As the National Women's Hall of Fame celebrates its 50th anniversary, this will help ensure the financial viability and longevity of this iconic historical landmark for years to come. prgtoken I am especially pleased that our very own Louise Slaughter will be inducted into the hall of fame this year: a fitting tribute for one of the most inspiring women I have had the privilege of knowing. prgtoken Louise will take her place alongside some of our Nation's trailblazers in the city that forever altered the course of women's rights in our Nation. prgtoken I am delighted that this legislation will help ensure that Louise, and so many other remarkable women in the hall of fame, will continue to inspire generations to come. prgtoken Madam , I look forward to diligently working toward its passage, and I encourage my colleagues to support this important bill.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-3-27

today I, along with my colleague Senator Cotton from Arkansas, am introducing the Senate Cybersecurity Protection Act to defend the integrity of American democracy by providing cybersecurity protection for the personal accounts and electronic devices of Senators and and key members of their staff. prgtoken In 2016, hackers working for the Russian government broke into a range of targets, including the network of the ic National Committee and the email account of Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign manager, John Podesta. These widely publicized breaches are only the tip of the iceberg. These hacks are widely known today because the emails stolen from these accounts were subsequently weaponized and used as part of a campaign to influence the outcome of several elections--most publicly, the presidential race between and Hillary Clinton, but also U.S. House of Representatives races in Illinois, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Senator Lindsey Graham also reported that his campaign's email was successfully compromised. prgtoken While the Russian hacks in 2016 were a watershed moment, these are merely the most visible and disruptive examples of foreign intelligence services prgtoken using offensive cyber capabilities to target those involved in our political process. Senior officials from the 2008 and McCain presidential campaigns have publicly confirmed that both organizations were compromised by hackers. In 2017, the media reported that then- White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's personal cell phone had been compromised, possibly for as long as ten months before the malware was discovered. And in 2018, media reports revealed that the personal email accounts of senior congressional staffers had been targeted by the notorious Russian hacking group ``Fancy-Bear.'' These and other events clearly demonstrate the unique threats faced by Senators and their staff. Unfortunately, as I revealed in a letter to Senate leadership last year, the Sergeant At Arms (SAA), which is responsible for the Senate's cybersecurity, informed me that it currently lacks the authority to use official Senate resources to protect the personal devices and accounts of Senators and key Senate staff, even when those staff are being targeted by foreign governments. prgtoken Senators Cotton and I are not alone in recognizing the seriousness of this national security threat. prgtoken Last year, then-Director of the National Security Agency Admiral Michael Rogers acknowledged in a letter to me that personal devices and accounts of senior U.S. government officials ``remain prime targets for exploitation.'' Likewise, in written responses to post-hearing questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee last year, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats wrote that ``[t]he personal accounts and devices of government officials can contain information that is usefu
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-3-27

I come to the floor to correct the record concerning statements the President reportedly made yesterday afternoon when he met with Senate s. prgtoken Apparently, in between his efforts to stiff hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and tear affordable healthcare away from millions of Americans, the President claimed that were holding up ambassadorial nominations in the Senate. Just weeks ago, we heard similar comments from the Senate majority leader, who claimed that GEN John Abizaid's nomination to be Ambassador to Saudi Arabia was ``being held up.'' prgtoken Let me be clear. No one wants to see the State Department vested with all the resources it needs to effectively conduct American foreign policy, including qualified and capable staff, more than I do. We cannot promote our foreign policy, protect American citizens, advocate for American businesses, or advance American values without a robust diplomatic core. prgtoken I want all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to know that each time the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has received nominations, I have dedicated my time and staff resources to efficiently and diligently vet and advance these nominations. In the last Congress, the committee reported 169 nominations. So I reject the assertion that we have not done our part to ensure that the State Department is appropriately staffed. prgtoken Now let me speak to General Abizaid because no one can honestly claim that the Foreign Relations Committee has been anything but extremely diligent and expeditious with this nomination. prgtoken With my full support, General Abizaid appeared in the very first committee nominations hearing of this Congress, and I very much look forward to voting in favor of his nomination as soon as our chairman-- our chairman--exercises his prerogative and puts him before the committee for a vote. prgtoken As with all nominees, the timing of his consideration by the full Senate is under the control of the majority leader. prgtoken It is clear that President has an inaccurate or dishonest view of the nominations situation in the Senate and particularly in the Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken We cannot confirm diplomats we do not have. All too often, the committee has received nominations late or not at all. The administration took nearly 2 years before it even bothered to nominate General Abizaid, leaving a gaping hole in our diplomatic posture to Saudi Arabia and the region. prgtoken To go nearly 2 years without putting forward a nominee is a failure of leadership, pure and simple. Saudi Arabia's actions over the past 2 years highlight the fact that we need an adult on the ground, which is why I wholeheartedly support General Abizaid and look forward to what I hope is his speedy confirmation. prgtoken Sadly, Saudi Arabia is not an isolated example. It took even longer-- more than 2 years--for the administration to nomi