mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-3-24

today I am introducing legislation in response to the coronavirus outbreak. I submitted this proposal to Senate Leadership earlier this week. It is my expectation that the language I've developed will be included, in some form, in the final agreement we're negotiating. The legislation is designed to remove a stumbling block to enactment of a third coronavirus relief package. prgtoken Specifically, the proposal I've developed responds directly to the concerns--voiced by some of my colleagues in recent days--that we should add accountability provisions to the relief package now under consideration by this chamber. It's my understanding that the Senate leaders are seriously considering including this or very similar language in their compromise. I applaud them for their efforts and strongly urge my colleagues' support for these sensible provisions. prgtoken My proposal would impose strict congressional oversight over the Treasury Department fund that is tasked with extending lending and other assistance to air carriers and American companies that have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. It mirrors closely the language that this chamber adopted in 2008, during consideration of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. prgtoken For example, this bill, like that 2008 statute, calls for the creation of a special inspector general for the coronavirus relief program and would authorize $50 million for this purpose. The special inspector general would be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. As stated in the bill, this appointment must be made ``on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations.'' prgtoken The bill I've developed also calls for creation of a bipartisan oversight board, comprised of five high ranking executive branch officials. This board would meet every two weeks to review the activities of the Exchange Stabilization Fund, a Treasury Department vehicle through which hundreds of billions of dollars in loan assistance would flow to distressed sectors of the United States economy. This oversight board would have to report suspected fraud or malfeasance to the special inspector general that this legislation creates. Again, it is very similar to a board that Congress established in 2008, during another National crisis. prgtoken In addition, my proposal calls for the head of the Office of Management and Budget to issue regulations to minimize conflicts of interest that may arise in coronavirus relief activities. It also imposes limits on executive compensation to senior officers of companies that accept lending assistance through the Treasury Department's Exchange Stabilization Fund. prgtoken The bill also calls for greater oversight and audits by the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan watchdog agency of Congress. Specifically, GAO is tasked with ongo
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Martha McSally (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2020-3-24

we are at war. Unlike the enemies I fought against in uniform, this enemy is invisible, but it is just as deadly. Earlier today, the World Health Organization cautioned that the United States could be the next epicenter of this coronavirus pandemic. The Surgeon General sounded the alarm that things would get drastically worse this week. Economists are warning of a prolonged economic downturn that will devastate the country financially in ways unseen since the Great Depression. prgtoken As of right now, more than 600 Americans have died from the coronavirus. In Arizona, our Governor announced this morning that the death toll from the outbreak is up to five. In the past 4 days, we have seen more than a 200-percent increase in the number of cases in my State. It is going to go up. These aren't just numbers; they are people. Our hearts and our prayers are with the grieving families who lost their loved ones and those fighting for their lives right now prgtoken The Nation has embarked on a massive effort to flatten the curve of the coronavirus to protect the vulnerable, buy time, and ensure our healthcare system doesn't get overwhelmed. These aggressive steps will save lives, but this path creates another calamity of massive economic hardship unlike anything we have experienced. We are telling people to stay home and not work. The financial devastation is wide and deep. prgtoken Arizonans are stepping up to do their part to save the vulnerable. Working people deserve relief, and their needs are urgent. prgtoken I was home in Arizona a week ago Sunday and saw a neighbor, a single mom with three kids. She owns a food truck. She told me that her income just went to zero, with all events canceled. ``What am I supposed to do?'' she asked me, with her son by her side at the grocery store. I told her I was heading back to DC to pass legislation to get her cash fast for her rent and food, plus additional support for her small prgtoken business. She was scared. I can't imagine the fear that must be gripping all Arizona parents just like her who must provide for their families in the face of this open-ended economic lockdown. prgtoken That same day, I ordered takeout at my favorite local restaurant. There was hardly anyone there when it is usually packed, and this was before the Governor's order to shut down eating in dining rooms. This is a family-owned, small restaurant where they poured their savings, their hearts, and their lives into building this local success story. I asked how they were coping, and they said they were deeply concerned. ``What are we supposed to do?'' they asked. I told them to hang in there and that relief was on the way. prgtoken More fear in the eyes of people whose only sin is to have worked hard and played by the rules in pursuit of their American dream. prgtoken On Monday morning, I walked to the gate in the airport terminal where I usually hug a woman who shines shoes. We kept our d
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2020-3-24

. He wouldn't have to lay them off today. In fact, he continues to write that they just canceled conferences in the last week that total $848,000. This is a big deal in Montana. prgtoken In fact, another small business owner in Montana let us know, by the way, about two other of our well-known kind of resorts--Grouse Mountain resort, which is up in Whitefish, as well as Chico Hot Springs. In fact, Senator Graham, in 1979, Chico Hot Springs is where we had our homecoming dance dinner for Bozeman High School.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-3-24

our economy is in a free fall. I just got off the phone with another business in Ohio that was worried about whether they can survive, whether or not they can keep the workers they have, and looking to us to try to pass something that would actually help. prgtoken The bill before us does that. Yet here we are. Another day has gone by. More people have lost their jobs. More small businesses have shuttered. The healthcare crisis continues. The coronavirus is spreading, and we are not passing legislation that addresses all of those issues. prgtoken I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with us. Let's come up with a bill here today. prgtoken The bill was the result of a bipartisan process. I was part of it. So I can tell you that. There were four different task forces that were asked to deal with four different parts of the response to the coronavirus. Each one was bipartisan. In our case, there were two s and two . The administration was involved. We made concessions. The made concessions. The legislation represented that. There were ideas from both sides. prgtoken Yet here we are, 48 hours after the bill was introduced. We had hoped to have the bill signed into law by the President on Monday. I had businesses calling me yesterday saying: I am holding on because I was told this was going to be done by Monday. prgtoken My hope is that those meetings that are happening behind those closed doors over there result in something quickly and that don't keep trying to add more things to this bill that are extraneous and that don't have to do with the coronavirus. prgtoken This is not the time to try to get whatever your wish list is on a piece of legislation that is moving. These are not normal times here, where Members try to take advantage of the bill going through by adding something to it. It is also not a time to say: Let's spend more and more and more on everything. prgtoken This is unprecedented. The total spending in this bill will be about $1.5 trillion. That is roughly the size of the entire appropriations that Congress normally makes. The entire appropriations that come through the process here, called discretionary spending, is the amount of just one coronavirus emergency bill. prgtoken To me, it is a rescue package. It is a rescue package that does three things. No. 1, it tries to keep the doors open in those small businesses that are watching us so carefully right now to see prgtoken what is going to happen. Also, as part of keeping the doors open, it means that you can keep your employees. prgtoken So goal one is to keep employees attached to businesses. We should all want that. That is where most people get their healthcare and get their retirement. That is where we want employees to be as we get over the hump here and begin to control this virus. Then we want to go back to work. We want to get the economy moving again so people can have
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-3-24

I arrived in Washington in November of 2001, after winning a special election to serve the people of the Third District of Arkansas in the House of Representatives. This was shortly after 9/11. It was a very anxious time in the Capitol. Every one of my colleagues sought to find ways to work together to move major pieces of legislation that helped to return a sense of normalcy that Americans so desperately sought in the wake of the attacks. prgtoken Given all that is at stake right now, for the life of me, I have not been able to understand why we have been struggling to do the same now. Thankfully, the partisanship that has dominated these past few days has subsided. It appears that we can now move forward after this unnecessary delay. This is vital, as we simply can't afford to wait. prgtoken Many small businesses in Arkansas, large cities and small towns alike, are being forced to close during this crisis, both to protect the public health and to protect their families, and because of a shrinking customer base, as customers are urged to stay home to reduce the spread of the disease. The unexpected closure for small business owners, through no fault of their own, may prevent many of them from reopening by the time this is behind us. Those employed at these operations will be among the hardest hit financially by this crisis. prgtoken Entire industries that are so vital to our Nation's economic well- being have been crushed by the pandemic. The markets have taken a huge hit from the crisis, putting the retirement security of millions of American in jeopardy. And it certainly is expected that our healthcare sector, strained to capacity right now by the coronavirus pandemic, will face substantial challenges moving forward. prgtoken Congress's initial responses in the wake of the crisis were promising. We prgtoken came together to pass a comprehensive package to dramatically increase efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, treat Americans diagnosed with COVID-19, and support research to find a vaccine. President signed this bipartisan, bicameral emergency supplemental appropriations package that provided a surge in funding throughout the government-- almost $8 billion--to meet the growing challenge that we face. It promotes a government-wide approach, channeling the collective energy, knowledge, and talents of Federal, State, and local public health officials and healthcare professionals to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and treat those who have been affected. prgtoken After that, the House passed a bipartisan relief bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which includes paid emergency leave for workers, widespread coronavirus testing at no additional cost to patients, and enhanced food security initiatives. Last week my colleagues in this Chamber worked together to approve the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the President signed it into law. This was the fir
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-3-24

first, I want to thank my good friend, the Senator from Illinois, for his outstanding work on this issue. He has been such a strong voice for the working families of America, for the people who need help. And his empathy and understanding of how average folks are suffering is very, very important. prgtoken In fact, I just spoke to his Governor, J. B. Pritzker, and told him that Senator Durbin is working very hard on something we believe is important, and that is money for the States and localities because they are getting clobbered economically by this crisis. They have new expenses, and without tax returns being filed until June, much of their income is not going to be there because of States filing in concert with the Federal Government. prgtoken Now, I will be brief. I just finished a very productive meeting with Secretary Mnuchin, the White House congressional liaison, Eric Ueland, and Mark Meadows, the President's Acting Chief of Staff prgtoken Last night, I thought we were on the 5-yard line; right now, we are on the 2. As I also said last night, at this point, of the few outstanding issues, I don't see any that can't be overcome within the next few hours. prgtoken Here are the things that we have been fighting for, we Senate . First, a Marshall Plan for our medical system. Our hospitals, our nursing homes, our community health centers--our whole healthcare system--need desperately needed dollars. They need them fast, and they need them in a very large amount. prgtoken Hospital beds have to expand. Expanding capacity is not easy. The need for ventilators, for PPEs for the workers, for masks, even things as simple as swabs are not always available. And in New York City, New York State, and around the country, hospitals are going to be overwhelmed. Our big hospitals, our medium-size hospitals, our small hospitals, and the small and rural hospitals actually face the risk of closing if we don't help them. prgtoken So we Senate have been pushing very hard for an increase, a significant increase, in money for the healthcare system. We are very, very pleased with what seems to be moving forward in the bill, in the bipartisan bill, that we hope will be brought to the floor. prgtoken Second, workers first--the title of our ic plan has been ``Workers First.'' We believe we have to put working people--families, average Americans--ahead of anybody else. They are losing their jobs through no fault of their own. Their kids are staying home because there is no school. prgtoken There are so many--so many--problems that are befalling average people, so we wanted to put them first. That has been our No. 1 goal, along with the Marshall Plan for hospitals. prgtoken This bill, as it comes forward, as it is now at least being agreed upon, has a lot of that. It has unemployment insurance on steroids. This is a great plan. What it says is that if you lose your job in this crisis
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-3-24

I come to the floor today, like so many of my colleagues, during what is undoubtedly the worst crisis that I have seen in my lifetime. It reminds me of hearing from my parents and grandparents about what it was like in America during the Depression and during World War II. This crisis in some ways is even worse because it is an enemy we can't see--the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. prgtoken Not since the 1918 outbreak of the Spanish influenza has a pandemic posed such an immense threat to the public health of our country. As of this morning, more than 47,000 Americans who have been tested have tested positive for COVID-19. We have actually tested more than that, but that is the number who have tested positive, and 593 Americans have, unfortunately, died from this disease. Just yesterday, health officials reported that more than 100 Americans lost their lives in a single day. prgtoken I know that everyone in this Chamber is thinking of those families and those people who have been lost due to this disease. prgtoken Sadly, no one is immune. Everyone is affected, including in my home State of New Hampshire. We have had more than 100 Granite Staters who have fallen ill from the coronavirus, and, sadly, just in the last few days, one person has died. My heart goes out to these families and to the family of the person we have lost. prgtoken This virus hasn't only threatened the public health of the Nation, but it threatens our economy as well. Millions of Americans have been asked to stay in their homes. Schools and businesses have been closed. While we all understand that this is a necessary step to help curb the spread of the disease, it is taking a huge toll on our workers, our families, and our economy as a whole. The aftermath of this nationwide emergency could leave tens of millions of families without work or steady income. prgtoken I have been working closely with my colleagues here in Congress and with the rest of the delegation from New Hampshire and with our Governor to try and think about what we should come up with, what kind of package would help those people who are hurting. During the past couple of weeks, I have had many phone calls with mayors, public health officials, small business owners, social service agencies, and all of those people who are on the frontlines of this crisis. prgtoken I have heard from nonprofit organizations that provide vital services to with those with disabilities, to our senior citizens and veterans, and to those in recovery from substance use disorders--because even as we are grappling with the impact of this coronavirus, New Hampshire is still sadly in the midst of a persistent substance misuse epidemic. Thanks to the tireless efforts of advocates, providers, policymakers, and so many in our State, we have made strides toward curbing the substance misuse crisis. We are ensuring that resources are there so that people can get the care they need. Even t
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-3-24

. Today, the American people are making sacrifices to keep themselves, their family, and their communities safe. Healthcare providers, grocery store staff, State and local government workers, truckers, bank tellers, journalists and countless others are doing important and necessary work on the front lines of this crisis. As a Senator from Vermont, and a Member of this Chamber for more than 40 years, I want to send my profound thanks. prgtoken Right now, we are close to expressing our understanding of the sacrifices of the American people in more than words. I believe we are very close to reaching a bipartisan agreement that will provide direct and immediate relief to working people and families in our country. prgtoken As vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I want to provide Senators with an update on the status of those negotiations in the Appropriations Committee between myself and Chairman Shelby. There is much we have already agreed upon, and I am confident that we can reach a deal that will help millions of Americans in need. prgtoken Hospitals, community health centers, and the health care institutions we will rely on in the coming weeks and months need to be ready for a potential surge of patients. In our agreement, we are securing hundreds of billions of dollars in direct assistance for these vital institutions. prgtoken Across the country, we are hearing reports of medical care providers and first responders reusing masks or first responders resorting to covering their faces with bandanas for protection. It is unacceptable. Increasing their potential risk of exposure to the corona virus because they do not have the tools and resources they need to do their job will only put further strain on our healthcare system to say nothing of the danger to those men and women. So we fought hard to include the resources to make sure health care, police officers, National Guard members, scientists and more have access to the personal protective equipment they need. prgtoken In times of crisis, it is critical that we support the most vulnerable among us. That is why I fought to include significant new resources for programs that provide food to those in need, including child nutrition programs, SNAP, and senior meals. Sadly, as this public health crisis progresses, the demand for nutrition programs will only grow in the coming months. I also fought to secure resources for the homeless, who without a clean, safe place to go are at a much higher risk of contracting the coronavirus among themselves and spreading it in their communities. prgtoken Every Member in this Chamber represents a rural community, and we will ensure that they are not left behind by supporting rural business and including help for rural hospitals, who unfortunately will not be spared for the impact of this pandemic, and resources to support broadband access, which will be critically important for keeping people connected as we are