mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
WOMEN'S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2022-3-1

I strongly believe women should have the right to choose. That freedom is under attack in many States across the country. For this reason, I voted to move to the Women's Health Protection Act. I will continue to fight to codify Roe v. Wade, as I have since coming to the Senate, so that no matter where you live in America you can access the full range of reproductive health care. I know that many Coloradans have a moral difference of opinion on this matter, and I respect their beliefs. In the end, I believe the value of individual liberty demands that people, not governments, make these most personal decisions.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3967, HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-3-1

I rise in strong support of today's rule. prgtoken As we work with President to build a better America, we must honor our debt to our veterans for their service and sacrifice on behalf of our country. prgtoken There are obvious risks and sacrifices in military service: the physical and mental challenges, time away from loved ones, and the possibility that one may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for one's country. But there are hidden risks and sacrifices as well, and our failure to address them means that, for too long, we have not met the needs of veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances during the course of their military service, as they have suffered from chronic respiratory illness, cancer, and a variety of other maladies later in life. prgtoken The most well-known example of this is Agent Orange. It took years of veterans' advocacy for the government to acknowledge and provide services and treatment for injuries caused by Agent Orange. prgtoken Even as the connections between illness and exposure to Agent Orange prgtoken have multiplied, new links have been established between exposure to other toxic substances during military service and chronic and life- threatening diseases. The burn pits used at military installations across the globe are a more recent example. prgtoken The Honoring our PACT bill enacts long-overdue support for over 3 million veterans suffering from illnesses due to exposure to toxins and radiation during military service. This comprehensive bill will cut red tape to getting veterans benefits, allowing veterans exposed to chemical, airborne, and radioactive hazards to receive full health benefits to treat illnesses related to that exposure. prgtoken We owe it to our vets to pass this bill and provide them with the benefits they deserve. prgtoken , I also want to highlight my amendment to the Honoring our PACT Act, which will provide additional funding to ensure that the VA can implement the new benefits that this bill will authorize. prgtoken I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support the rule, the PACT Act, and my amendment when they are considered on the House floor.
HONORING ALLISON BOETTCHER
Lois Frankel (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2022-3-1

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate my guest for the State of the Union address, Allison Boettcher. prgtoken President and House are building a better America. The American Rescue Plan put our economy back on track with historic job growth and the fastest recovery of any of the world's leading economies; and small business owners across the nation, like Allison, have persevered and survived with assistance from President and . prgtoken Allison is the founder of Blue Mountain Coffee House, a small business in Florida's 21st Congressional District. Raised in Jamaica, Allison has been passionate about the Caribbean--the culture, the community, and the coffee. In January 2020, she committed to sharing that love with her neighbors in West Palm Beach, and her fresh roasted coffee from Jamaica's Blue Mountains has become a local staple. prgtoken Like so many small business owners across the country, Allison found herself struggling when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and was able to withstand the economic fallout from the pandemic. With the help of the Paycheck Protection Program and Restaurant Revitalization Fund, crucial provisions in The American Rescue Plan, Allison's business stayed open and kept employees safe and on payroll. prgtoken For the people of West Palm Beach, Allison's Blue Mountain Coffee House is much more than a cafe, it is a place where people feel at home. Her tenacity and desire to serve the people of West Palm Beach is truly inspiring. I am grateful for her contributions and look forward to her continued success.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2022-3-1

every day, Americans get up, go to work, and do their jobs. It is time that all of us in the Senate do ours. prgtoken We have five outstanding nominees for the Federal Reserve. They are ready. They are ready to get to work fighting inflation. And that fight is all the more important now as Americans brace for possible impacts at the gas pump and throughout our economy from Putin's invasion of Ukraine. prgtoken Vladimir Putin has made it clear he doesn't care whom he hurts in his maniacal quest for power. He has no problem attacking innocent Ukrainians defending their country and wanting to continue their freedoms and their democracy. He has no regard for hard-working families in the United States and Europe and across the world who can't afford higher energy prices. prgtoken Our Senate colleagues of both parties, led in part by the Presiding Officer today, Senator Murphy, have so far shown a united front against Putin. We are united in the need for punishing sanctions against Putin and his cronies. But along with these sanctions, it is our job to do all we can to make sure Putin's invasion does not hurt hard-working Americans. prgtoken Let's be clear. This body, this administration, this Fed will do all it can to combat inflation. When it comes to spikes in energy prices because of Putin's warmongering, our resolve is strong. Our commitment to democracy is certain. prgtoken This is not the moment for political stunts. As we deal with the first land prgtoken war in Europe since World War II, as we confront inflation, as we work to continue our economic growth--in fact, in the past year, for the first time in two decades, America's economic growth is stronger than China's economic growth. Our rate of growth exceeds China's. As we emerge from this global pandemic, everyone understands we need a full Federal Reserve Board--the first one in nearly a decade. It has been since 2013 before we have had all seven members of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is in some sense the supreme court of our economy, as one Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joe Stiglitz, said. prgtoken Americans don't want more political theatrics; they want solutions to take on Putin, to protect our national security, and to bring down costs. There is no more reason for delay. prgtoken These nominees have met with every Senator, five nominees. These nominees have met with every Senator who asked for a meeting. These nominees met with staffs of Senators who asked. They offered to meet with many of my colleagues who refused to meet with them and in a couple of cases, met with them and were pretty combative, but that is OK. These nominees did everything we asked of them, and then my colleagues boycotted the vote--something I have never seen happen, not just since I have been chair of Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; I have never seen it since I have been in the Senate, where one party boycotted a vote and stopped that vote from
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3967, HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-3-1

and still I rise. And I rise today understanding that the greatness of America will not be measured by the number of nuclear-powered submarines we have. Its greatness won't be measured by our B-1 bombers or our number of soldiers in uniform. The greatness of our Nation will be measured by how do you treat the persons who fly the B-1 bombers; how do you treat the persons who will take on the challenges of the world who become the front line of democracy; how do you treat them when they return home? This is how the greatness of America will be measured. prgtoken The greatness of America will be measured by what kind of housing do we give them, do we help them to transition from military life to a job in civilian life? The greatness of America will be measured by the kind of insurance that they get so that they can have the best healthcare the world can afford. prgtoken This bill, this legislation, among other things, expands healthcare services for a larger group of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, Agent Orange, for example. Many men have died and suffered and didn't get the healthcare that they earned because we allowed a nebulous notion as to what Agent Orange was doing to them to persist. There is a presumption now. prgtoken This bill increases the number of veterans without service-connected disabilities who can receive healthcare. If I had my way, you would get all of your healthcare whether service-connected or not. But I don't have my way. But I am going to support this bill because I want my record to show that when I had the chance to help the veterans, I did what I could, and I voted ``yes.'' I didn't cop out. I stood tall with them. I want my record to show that I came to this floor and encouraged my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
URGENCY TO PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-3-1

. Madam , I rise today on the eve of President 's State of the Union speech to strongly urge Congress to pass immigration reform to boost our economy, grow our GDP, and create jobs across the country. prgtoken Right now, our economy is roaring back after the depths of a global pandemic, and workers and families are still feeling the effects. As we continue this recovery and work to grow our economy, lower costs, and create jobs, it is now more crucial than ever that we secure a pathway to citizenship for the millions of hardworking, immigrant, essential workers across the country who contribute to our economy every day. prgtoken We must secure a pathway to citizenship for the farmworkers and meatpackers who feed America, the construction workers who build American cities, the restaurant and hotel workers who serve our families, and the nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers who have cared for us in this public health crisis. Now is the time to deliver on immigration reform to boost our economy and keep families together. prgtoken Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus join me in this fight to urgently act. That is why we have worked tirelessly with the administration to enact policy changes to build a more efficient, just, fair, and humane immigration system that reflects our American values. prgtoken We have pursued an all-of-the-above and any-which-way approach to achieving immigration reform using every tool at our disposal to secure a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, TPS holders, and essential workers. prgtoken In the House, CHC members have introduced and passed meaningful bipartisan bills to achieve that goal. As the proud son of farmworkers, I was thrilled when , s, growers, and workers came together to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill would give farmworkers and their families a pathway to citizenship. prgtoken Doing so would stabilize our workforce and the price of our food, making your produce, my produce, and everybody's produce available at a reasonable cost. The CHC also led efforts to pass the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act to allow DACA, temporary protected status, and deferred enforced departure beneficiaries to earn permanent residence and continue contributing to our workforce and economy. prgtoken CHC, with House , delivered. Unfortunately, s in the Senate blocked these commonsense bills that would benefit all Americans and help keep families together. However, we didn't let their refusal to do what is right for this country and American families stand in the way of our work to enact positive change. prgtoken That is why the CHC led efforts to pass immigration reform through the Build Back Better Act and provide a much-needed pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, essential workers, and farmworkers, and meaningful protections and work permits. Out of the House, we passed
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-3-1

I was not intending to speak. As the Presiding Officer knows, I was presiding, and she was kind to spell me. prgtoken Yet, as I was hearing colleagues talk on the floor about the state of our country, what I was hearing from my colleagues were words like ``malaise,'' ``funk,'' ``disaster,'' and I was seeing visuals of a house on fire. So I was compelled to stand and just offer a few extemporaneous remarks. prgtoken I don't think America is a disaster. I don't think America is on fire. I don't think America is in a deep, unyielding malaise. I have heard colleagues talk about the situation in the world and use the ``appeasement'' word. I have heard language, both in committee hearings this morning and here on the floor, that I would characterize as a kind of a ``blame America first'' attitude. If something is going on--if a dictator like Vladimir Putin acts in a horrific way--it has got to be America's fault. It has got to be 's fault. I don't think our instinct should be to blame America first when dictators in the world undertake despicable actions. prgtoken What I have noticed in these comments today in trashing our President and in trashing the country--sort of a cherry-picking of evidence--is that my colleagues have brought up some things that are really very legitimate concerns. Inflation is a very, very legitimate concern that has to be addressed. Yet I have listened to these speeches, and not one has talked about record job growth. Not one has talked about strong GDP growth. Not one has talked about dramatic increases in the wages and salaries of low- and moderate-income people. prgtoken Is that because my colleagues are unaware of those things? prgtoken No. They know these things. They are just choosing not to discuss them because what they want to do is to paint a picture of an American malaise, an American funk, an American disaster. That is not what this country is. Yet my colleagues are very willing to paint a false picture by omitting key evidence. prgtoken I listened to the speeches this morning, and not one mentioned that COVID deaths and hospitalizations are coming down dramatically and that the CDC now has said, in most of my Commonwealth and in most of the country, you needn't wear masks indoors. I would think they might have mentioned that because part of the reason for this recent progress is the vaccinations; it is the vaccines that were developed in the previous administration. They could have taken a little credit for it, but, no, they didn't mention it at all. COVID is coming down. There is strong economic growth, strong job growth, strong wage and salary growth. prgtoken Around the world, a NATO that the previous President trashed when he was cozying up to the dictator Vladimir Putin is demonstrating to the entire world that, when it is resolved to unify, the power of American- led alliances is a huge force for good in this world. prgtoken So I am just t
EMILIA LINGAD
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2022-3-1

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and applaud Emilia Lingad for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. prgtoken Emilia Lingad is a student at Arvada High School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities. prgtoken The dedication demonstrated by Emilia Lingad is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives. prgtoken I extend my deepest congratulations to Emilia Lingad for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassador for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3967, HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-3-1

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I want to thank the gentleman for his comments. I just want to say that he is right. We could probably pass the very short bill that the s have put forward, H.R. 6659, and send it to the President. But our bill, which is actually more than 80 pages, goes into much more depth and covers a lot more. prgtoken s want to do just a little bit. We want to actually solve the challenges that so many of our veterans face. prgtoken By the way, , I include in the Record the Statement of Administration Policy, which states that President would basically sign the bill we are discussing here today into law. Statement of Administration Policy prgtoken H.R. 3967--Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act--Rep. Takano, D-California and 100 cosponsors The Administration strongly supports H.R. 3967, which would expand veterans' access to health care and benefits to address the health effects of harmful environmental exposures that occurred during military service. The President believes that our Nation has only one truly sacred obligation: to properly prepare and equip our service members when we send them into harm's way and to care for them and their families when they return home. Far too often, military service comes with a cost, and we owe it to our veterans and their families to address these consequences comprehensively. Unfortunately, it has taken decades to understand the deleterious effects of environmental exposures--leaving too many without access to the benefits and services they need. H.R. 3967 would make changes to the definitions for who is eligible for VA health care based on presumed toxic exposure during military service, including from bum pits, radiation, or other environmental conditions. H.R. 3967 would also make changes to the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA's) process for determining presumptive service connection and mandate several research studies related to military related environmental exposures. It would also establish new registries related to exposures, which would provide new data on the long-term impacts from environmental exposures. H.R. 3697 also would allow a Federal cause of action related to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and establish training requirements for health providers, and require an outreach plan to educate veterans about their eligibility for benefits and services related to toxic exposure. The Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to enact this legislation and ensuring it is effectively implemented. We must address the toxic legacy of environmental exposures sustained by veterans during their military service and fulfil
UKRAINE
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2022-3-1

I rise in solidarity with the people of Ukraine who are under horrific siege. Ukraine's valorous President Volodymyr Zelensky and the courageous Ukrainian forces and its people are defending their homeland in what truly is a battle of David versus Goliath. prgtoken Putin is unleashing hell on Earth through cluster bombs and vacuum bombs on innocent civilians targeting women, children, and the elderly, and striking hospitals and orphanages in a murderous rampage. prgtoken This is the work of war criminals. But more war is not the answer. The top leaders of every nation in our world--not just their ambassadors but every leader of every nation--this week must create an historic surge of diplomacy to engage with Vladimir Putin to end this massacre. prgtoken Work it out. Work it out. prgtoken Please stop the killing. Stop the fear. Stop the massacre. Build forward. Invite Vladimir Putin toward a new world of peace and opportunity for all in that damaged and struggling part of our beleaguered world.
TIME TO IMPOSE HARSHEST SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-3-1

. Madam , I have had the privilege of representing Ukrainian Village in Chicago for over 10 years. In that time, we have become friends. prgtoken From my friends, I have learned about the beauty of Ukrainian history, culture, and the courage and strength of the Ukrainian people. In the past days, the whole world has seen that strength and courage. prgtoken Ukraine has bravely beaten back the onslaught of premeditated invasion by an evil autocratic leader. In response, there has been an outpouring of support from the entire world. prgtoken But I rise today, Madam , because our thoughts and prayers are not enough. Of course, those expressions of support matter. They hearten a resistance that is outgunned and outnumbered, and they tell the Kremlin that the world is watching. But when you are at war, you need more than just thoughts and prayers. prgtoken The people of Ukraine need us to use every tool at our disposal to help them repel Russia's invading forces. I know many Americans want our country to stay out of this conflict. We have endured 2 years of a pandemic that has taken thousands of lives and stretched pocketbooks to their breaking point. No one wants a conflict that could make our lives even more difficult. prgtoken I understand the desire to hunker down and wait for it to go away, but the message is this: You can turn off your TV and try to ignore the crisis, but that will not stop it from having an impact on you. While it may seem like the battlefields are a world away, the repercussions of this fight are on our doorstep. prgtoken The reality is that this conflict will worsen supply chain issues and increase inflationary pressures. And anyone who believes that Putin will not turn his attention to the rest of the world is badly mistaken. Indeed, he already has. He is already responsible for massive cyberattacks against the United States, and he interfered in two of our elections. prgtoken Let's remember, two generations of Americans fought for a new world order in which democracy prevailed over autocracy. For more than six decades, that victory has held. Now, it is threatened by Vladimir Putin. prgtoken We must ensure that the sacrifices of our forebears were not in vain. Surely, other autocrats with desires to carve out expanded borders at the expense of sovereign democracies are watching the extent of Western resolve. prgtoken Ukrainian President Zelensky has begged the West for military aid. The U.S. must hear these pleas. prgtoken Thankfully, the response has begun. President recently authorized an additional $350 million defense aid package for Ukraine, bringing the total commitment of U.S. security assistance to $1 billion this year alone. And NATO has begun to send weapons and equipment for the first time in history. prgtoken The European Union is shipping arms to Ukraine. Germany is supplying antitank weapons and missiles. Belgium, Poland, the Netherlands, and others have joined. prgtoken While