mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
EQUAL ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION FOR VETERANS ACT
Lois Frankel (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2021-6-24

. Madam , I thank Mr. Takano and Ms. Brownley for their magnificent leadership advancing the health and safety of our women veterans. prgtoken Madam , my, my, my, this bill, which passed unanimously last session, is just mind-boggling that now some s are opposing it. prgtoken Really? prgtoken I am going to say this: As a very proud mother of a son of a United States Marine Corps veteran, I know the risks and sacrifices of our brave military. So I say without hesitation, after service to our country is completed, no veteran of the United States Armed Forces should be forced to pay out-of-pocket expenses for preventative care, including contraception, that their civilian counterparts do not pay. prgtoken Small copays can be prohibitive for veterans struggling to make ends meet. In fact, studies show that costs associated with contraception, even when small, lead some people to forego it completely, to choose less effective methods, or use it inconsistently. prgtoken Here is the thing, Madam ; the decision about whether or when or how to become a parent is one of the most important decisions a person can make. Our veterans were willing to stand up and take bullets for our freedom, so we need to stand up for theirs. Let's make it clear, today we are focused on access to birth control. prgtoken The position conflating abortion and contraception is part of a broader extreme effort to block access to any type of reproductive healthcare. So let's eliminate the barriers and get the veterans the healthcare they need. prgtoken Madam , I call on my colleagues to demonstrate their commitment to the patriotic people who make up our military and veteran communities by passing this very good bill, Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-6-24

I rise to introduce the ``Lead-Free Drinking Water for All Act.'' This legislation would authorize $45 billion to replace every lead pipe and service line in America over the next 10 years, ensuring clean water for all. prgtoken According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and plumbing fixtures. Nationwide, there are 6 to 10 million lead service lines serving up to 22 million Americans, affecting Americans living in all 50 states, Washington, D.C and Puerto Rico. The only way to guarantee lead-free drinking water is to remove and replace every lead pipe and service line in America--and that's precisely what this legislation calls for. prgtoken The Lead-Free Drinking Water for All Act would reauthorize EPA's lead reduction projects grant program and increase the authorization to $4.5 billion per year for 10 years. It would prioritize disadvantaged communities and set a ten-year deadline for projects to complete the lead service line removal. It would also guarantee that funded projects pay a prevailing wage. prgtoken Epidemiologic studies have consistently demonstrated that there is no safe level of exposure to lead. According to the EPA, lead is particularly harmful for young children: low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, impaired physical development, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead can be harmful to human health, even at low exposure levels. prgtoken This problem is particularly prevalent in California's Central Valley, where, for example, in 2017 approximately 25 percent of schools in Fresno County reported lead in their drinking water while statewide, almost 1 in 5 kids attended a school that served drinking water with lead contamination. prgtoken The Lead-Free Drinking Water for All Act would protect public health by guaranteeing that all Americans have access to lead-free drinking water. By providing funding for grants and prioritizing disadvantaged communities, this legislation would also reduce disparities in access to clean water and ensure that the burden of paying for lead service line replacement does not fall on disadvantaged communities. prgtoken I thank my co-lead, Senator Stabenow, for her tireless leadership fighting for clean water for her constituents in Michigan and all Americans. I also thank the cosponsors of this bill for championing this vital effort with us in the Senate. prgtoken I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the ``Lead-Free Drinking Water for All Act'' as quickly as possible. prgtoken Thank you, , .
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-6-24

as career opportunities and the requisite skills prgtoken for success adapt to the demands of the 2lst century, so too must the instruction and preparation educators receive. Educators are tasked with designing educational experiences that rise to the rigorous State academic standards and reflect the needs and interests of our Nation's diverse student population. This past school year with the pandemic was even more demanding our Nation's educators as they were faced with new teaching challenges and adapting to virtual or hybrid learning environments. Prior to the pandemic, school districts were faced with widespread teacher shortages, with nearly every State reporting shortages of teachers in high-need subjects like math, science, ahd special education. Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows COVID-19 has only exacerbated those needs with 43 States reporting shortages in math teachers, 42 in science teachers, and 44 in special education for the 2020-21 school year. prgtoken We must find ways to strengthen the educator talent pipeline to ensure our students have access to high-quality educators and school leaders. We also must address the fact that schools in high-need communities are often staffed by a revolving door of underprepared and inexperienced teachers who unable to meet students' needs. According to the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection, in 2016, schools with high enrollments of students of color were four times as likely to hire uncertified teachers as were schools with low enrollments of students of color. This in part due to State teacher shortages. prgtoken This is why I am pleased to introduce today with my colleague, Senator Collins, the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals Act, or PREP Act. As schools across our Nation continue to face growing class sizes, many are struggling with a shortage of qualified teachers. Rural communities in particular are experiencing a dearth of teachers equipped to meet their growing needs. The PREP Act aims to create high- quality teacher residency programs to develop a diverse workforce that is well prepared to provide the educational opportunities students need to be successful in the 21st century. prgtoken More specifically, this legislation would expand the definition of ``high need'' districts under the Every Student Succeeds Act, ESSA, to include those experiencing teacher shortages in rural communities and in areas such as special education, English language, science, technology, engineering, math, and CTE, to allow for access to additional support and improvement. It would also encourage school districts to establish partnerships with local community colleges and universities to ensure their education programs are developing future teachers in content areas where there is currently a shortage of educators. It would increase access to teacher and school leader residency programs and preparati
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION RELATING TO ``UPDATE OF COMMISSION'S CONCILIATION PROCEDURES''
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-6-24

. Madam , we cannot allow employers to drag out the conciliation process rather than be held accountable for violating workers' civil rights. prgtoken As I said at the beginning of this debate, justice delayed is justice denied. That is why I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this resolution and taking a critical step to ensuring that those who suffer workplace discrimination can get timely and fair justice. prgtoken Madam , I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for working with me on the House version of the resolution. prgtoken I ask for the support of the House to pass the resolution to overturn the EEOC regulation, and .
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-6-24

. Madame President, Senator Cassidy and I are reintroducing a simple bill that can have a big impact: the Know Your Social Security Act. The bill clarifies the law about Congressional intent so that every worker over 25 receives a paper Social Security statement in the mail each year, unless the worker has accessed their statement online or declined to receive the statement in the mail. prgtoken The story is well known in Social Security circles, but it bears repeating: the origin story of the Social Security statement all started with the ``powerful'' Committee on Finance. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan spelled out the reasoning: ``All of us pay into Social Security but rarely, until we become beneficiaries, do we ever hear from Social Security . . . in every paycheck, we see money withheld for Social Security, but we hear nary a word from the Social Security Administration. Let us take this simple step [ sending statements] to reassure Americans that Social Security will be there for them.'' prgtoken After enactment and once fully phased in, every worker aged 25 and prgtoken older received an annual statement from Social Security starting in the year 2000. After a few years, Social Security's website allowed workers to access their statement online. At the time, that was a nice feature--and did not impact the mailing of statements. Later--to fund more pressing needs--SSA viewed the online option as ``providing'' the worker with a statement and fulfilling the requirements of the law. SSA stopped mailing the statements in 2011 to everyone over 25. Currently, only individuals over the age of 60 who are not receiving benefits receive statements automatically through the mail. prgtoken Paper statements delivered through the mail are desirable because no action is necessary by the worker and the statement is a yearly reminder to the worker to think about the future. Research has shown that workers provided with statements are significantly more likely to save, more certain about their retirement income, and have higher satisfaction with their finances relative to those who are not provided with any type of financial planning materials. Providing Social Security statement through the mail is a simple policy that could help many workers, hopefully leading to better decisions about their financial future. prgtoken Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman John Larson and Ways and Means Committee Member Vern Buchanan are reintroducing the companion bill in the House of Representatives. The bill is endorsed by AARP, Alliance for Retired Americans, Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA), Justice in Aging, NAACP, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, The Arc of the United States, and The Senior Citizens League. I hope our colleagues in the Senate will join us and cosponsor the Know Your Social
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 1520
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-6-24

I rise for the 15th time, today, to call for every Senator to have the opportunity to consider and cast their vote for the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act. This bill would move serious crimes like sexual assault out of the chain of command and put them in the hands of the most capable people in the military: independent, impartial, highly trained prosecutors. prgtoken I began calling for the full floor vote on May 25. That was about a month ago. In that month, an estimated 1,736 servicemembers will have been raped or sexually assaulted. More will have been victims of other serious crimes. Many will not even report those crimes because they lack faith in the system where cases are decided by their commanders, not by trained lawyers. And yet this vote continues to be delayed and denied day after day, week after week. prgtoken I have heard proponents of this bill argue that we can't make this change because the military lacks the lawyers necessary to carry out the work. Today, I would like to address this one unfounded claim. prgtoken Let's look at the numbers. The Navy, for example, has an Active Duty population of just over 330,000 members. Their military justice system has 935 military lawyers, or judge advocates known as JAGs. That number includes more than 100 special litigators and 85 at the 06-level JAG, which means the colonel or above commanders. And last year, they completed just 78 general courts martial, which are usually cases involved in serious felonies that our bill discusses. prgtoken Now, let's look at the civilian counterpart. Take the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. San Diego County has a population of 3.3 million people. To serve that population, the DA's office has just 300 prosecutors who handle 40,000 cases a year. prgtoken So the Navy has one-tenth of the population but three times the lawyers. In total, our armed services have just over 1.3 million members and more than 4,000 JAGs. The issue with our military justice system is not that it lacks the lawyers. It is that it does not entrust the most serious crimes to the people who are most professional and trained to address them. prgtoken In fiscal year 2020, the armed services completed 720 general courts martial, and in fiscal year 2019, they completed 895 general courts martial. If 300 prosecutors in San Diego County can handle 40,000 cases a year, I trust that more than 4,000 JAGs in our military, some of our Nation's best and brightest, can handle 895 general courts martial. prgtoken I have trust in those military lawyers' ability to handle these cases because they are in fact already working on them. This reform would not give them more work. Instead, it would relieve them of the time- consuming work it takes to get a commander properly briefed on cases and allow them to make decisions on those cases instead of just making recommendations to commanders. prgtoken In short, making thi
EQUAL ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION FOR VETERANS ACT
Julia Brownley (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-6-24

. Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act. prgtoken Madam , I thank the chairman and Ranking Member Bost for their support. This bill is a simple one. It only addresses the disparity between veterans who must pay for contraception, and civilians and women currently serving in uniform, who do not have to pay for contraception. prgtoken As the chairwoman of the Women's Veterans Task Force and chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, I have worked to identify disparities in healthcare for our women veterans, and where necessary, introduce, advocate for, and pass legislation that eliminates those gaps. prgtoken Madam , I was proud to work with my colleagues to pass the bipartisan Deborah Sampson Act last Congress. This legislation, which was the most comprehensive bill to address the needs of women veterans in more than a decade, received overwhelming bipartisan support. But there are still far too many areas where women veterans have to pay more for their healthcare than men; and in this case, they have to pay more than nonveteran women. prgtoken These inequities create an environment that perpetuates the notion that women are not equal to men, and in this case, veteran women are not even equal to other women. This bill passed through the House last Congress by voice vote. It also passed out of the VA Committee this Congress with strong bipartisan support. prgtoken It was deeply troubling that misinformation and politics got in the way of helping our women veterans last week, when the bill failed to pass under suspension, which is why we are back here again this week. prgtoken Let us be clear, this was a direct slap in the face to nearly 2 million women veterans living in the United States. Because of the Affordable Care Act, women using civilian health insurance may access basic contraceptive services, like the pill, or an IUD without any copay. Additionally, Active Duty servicemembers receive contraceptive care without any copays. So current law is specifically penalizing our women veterans. As we know, choosing when, or if, to have a family is essential to women's health and to their economic security. prgtoken Madam , 87 percent of Americans agree that everyone deserves access to the full range of birth control methods, no matter who they are, where they live, what their economic status is. The vast majority of the American people believe veteran women deserve to be recognized and deserve to be treated with the respect they have earned. The vast majority of the American people also believe that birth control should be a basic part of women's healthcare. prgtoken I am particularly disappointed that this bipartisan commitment to supporting our women veterans seems to have hit a roadblock this Congress. Our veterans, both men and women, have sacrificed so much for our country. It is past time that we ensure they get the equitab
HONORING CHLOE CHANG OF PECK PLACE SCHOOL IN ORANGE, CONNECTICUT
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-6-24

. Madam , each year the community of Orange, Connecticut gathers for a solemn ceremony to mark Memorial Day. As part of this ceremony, local elementary school students are invited to submit essays that share their thoughts on Memorial Day and its meaning to them. Submissions from each of the community's three elementary schools are selected to be included in the ceremony. I had the opportunity to join the Orange ceremony this year and was inspired by the words of this year's winners and am pleased to have this opportunity to share them. prgtoken Chloe Chang, a student at Peck Place School submitted the following essay: We dress in red, white, and blue, attend parades, and honor the men and women who have fallen in the Civil War. This holiday has been around for 182 years, and we still donate money, coupons, and flowers to the perished soldiers. Their sacrifices have allowed them to serve their country, putting the welfare of others before their own. How can we repay them? We can give a moment of silence, visit their burial ground, and learn about their history. The holiday started in 1868, where North America was fighting to end slavery, and South America was fighting to preserve slavery. The war to end slavery lasted for over 4 years, and Robert E. Lee finally capitulated the last Confederate Soldiers to General Ulysses S. Grant. ``Decoration Day'' was declared by General John A. Logan in 1868. In ``Decoration Day'', flowers are laid on war graves in honor of the deceased. Memorial Day holiday was declared a national holiday in 1971 to honor those who have died in all American wars. The Union Army has contributed immensely to our lives, and the least we can do is say a little thank you. The invaluable changes they made upon our history is indescribable, and we are forever indebted to them. These brave men and women have done much for their fatherland by sacrificing their own lives, and we continue to honor them on May 31, Memorial Day. prgtoken For more than two hundred years American soldiers have answered the call to defend our land and our values of freedom and democracy. With annual ceremonies like the one in Orange, that engage our youngest citizens, we ensure that we will never forget that our armed forces have a long and proud history, and that every one of our veterans has demonstrated outstanding courage, dedication, and service. It is my honor to rise today to thank Chloe Chang for her very special contribution to Memorial Day and her community.
HONORING LIVES LOST IN I-65 CRASH
Jerry L. Carl (Republican, AL) \u2014 2021-6-25

. Madam , I rise today to honor the lives of the 10 people who perished last week in a horrific accident in Butler County, Alabama. This day was especially tragic for our state. Losing 10 people in an accident is terrible enough, but it's even worse that 8 of them were young, school-aged girls from the Tallapoosa Girls Ranch. prgtoken Each of these girls came from rough backgrounds where they were abused and/or neglected, but at some point they found a family and a community at the Tallapoosa Girls Ranch. prgtoken I can't even begin to imagine the grief that is felt by the loved ones of these 10 people, but I know they will find some comfort knowing countless people around the state and the Nation are grieving with them. prgtoken I urge my colleagues and folks everywhere to continue keeping the loved ones of these 10 people in our thoughts and prayers.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RELATING TO ``OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR: EMISSION STANDARDS FOR NEW, RECONSTRUCTED, AND...
John Joyce (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-25

I have no further speakers, and the balance of my time. prgtoken , this is just the tip of the iceberg. EPA will use the resolution to clear the way for other sources without formally establishing that a prgtoken pollutant significantly contributes to harmful air pollution as a predicate for new regulations. Manufacturing, paper, plastics, metals, and virtually every other industry in America certainly could be next. prgtoken We must not allow overregulation to crush the energy jobs that America wants and America needs. prgtoken , .
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RELATING TO ``OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR: EMISSION STANDARDS FOR NEW, RECONSTRUCTED, AND...
Yvette Herrell (Republican, NM) \u2014 2021-6-25

I rise also in strong opposition to this resolution, as it is yet another attempt by my ic colleagues to nickel and dime the most essential industry in my district out of business. prgtoken The energy policies of the administration have been a complete and utter disaster. American jobs are being lost and gas prices are soaring due to a retreat from the policies of the administration that created American energy dominance. prgtoken Small and midsize oil and gas producers employ tens of thousands of New Mexicans and contribute millions of dollars in revenues to my State's budget. These essential businesses are the ones that will be most negatively impacted by the passage of this resolution. prgtoken Small and midsize producers are already under attack by the ban on new oil and gas leases on Federal lands put in place by this administration, which a Federal judge ruled to be illegal just last week. prgtoken Instead of approving foreign pipelines and implementing duplicative and costly regulations, which strengthen the hands of our enemies, this administration and this House should be focused on creating jobs here at home and lowering energy costs for all Americans. prgtoken I, and many other of my colleagues, have put forward commonsense pieces of legislation to ensure economic and environmental sustainability for our constituents. This legislation does just the opposite. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to oppose this legislation and to join us on this side of the aisle in fighting to continue the American energy dominance agenda of the previous administration that resulted in a cleaner environment and a vibrant economy.