mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AFFORDABLE INSULIN ACT NOW--Continued
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2022-9-29

before I begin, I wanted to acknowledge that this morning, countless Floridians woke up to a world turned upside down in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Hundreds of thousands in Puerto Rico remain without power more than 10 days after the storm that ravaged the island. prgtoken I want them to know that Vermonters will stand by your side as you rebuild your communities and prgtoken your lives, and so will s and in this Chamber. prgtoken Now, the continuing resolution we are about to consider contains $18.8 billion for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, which would bring available resources in the fund to approximately $35 billion to respond to these and other disasters. prgtoken We likely are not going to know the extent of the damage for several days. Every time you watch the news you hear of more damage. But I remind my colleagues that we are the United States of America, and I am ready to work with my colleagues to respond with what is needed. prgtoken I do not care whether a State is represented by or s. You are part of the United States of America, and as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will work with you during the months ahead to get the funds you need. prgtoken Now, that said, I am glad we have reached an agreement to fund the Federal Government through December 16, and I want to thank my good friend Vice Chairman Shelby for working on this. But I especially want to thank Leaders Schumer and McConnell for their work and cooperation in reaching this point. They both understand the need to go forward. prgtoken I am glad that we were able to secure $1 billion to bolster LIHEAP ahead of the winter heating season. My home State of Vermont will receive an infusion of $5.7 million from this funding. Now, that is going to go a long way to help families pay their bills when they are faced with rising fuel costs and plummeting temperatures. It helps them not to have to make the decision ``do I eat or heat.'' prgtoken The bill also includes $12.35 billion in emergency assistance for Ukraine, $2.5 billion to support recovery efforts for the Hermit's Peak-Calf Canyon fire in New Mexico; $2 billion in community development block grants to help communities recovering from major disasters in 2021 and 2022. prgtoken I am disappointed that some of my colleagues blocked additional funding to combat COVID-19 or monkeypox. I will continue to work with s and to secure these necessary resources in the omnibus. prgtoken And, finally, I want to be clear. This is only a temporary measure. As the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I am committed to completing the work of the committee before the end of this Congress. prgtoken Running on autopilot after December with rising inflation would be irresponsible. It would leave priorities of both s and underfunded and underresourced. The Federal Government funds programs that the
Tribute to Jacqlyn Schneider (Executive Calendar)
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to pay tribute to my longtime staff member Jacqlyn Schneider. prgtoken After more than 11 years by my side in the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Jacqlyn is starting a new chapter in her professional career. I have absolutely no doubt that she will excel in everything that she does because that is the kind of person Jacqlyn is. prgtoken In 2011, when I first became chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Jacqlyn joined my team as a senior professional staff member, and I was so lucky that she did. prgtoken She had been working for a Congressman from California, but she was from Michigan, and so it was great to get this Michigan native working for our State again. And it was great to have a fellow redhead on the Agriculture Committee. She quickly became a crucial part of my team. prgtoken One of the first things you learn about Jacqlyn is that she is tough. You definitely don't want her to be on the opposite side of the negotiating table from you, and I am really lucky she was on my side of the table. prgtoken I will challenge you to find anyone who better understands agricultural issues, the breadth of agricultural issues, but, in particular, nutrition. prgtoken Jacqlyn is a relentless advocate--a relentless advocate--for nutrition policies that benefit children, seniors, families. She played a huge role in our passing the 2014 Farm Bill and the 2018 Farm Bill, which has, frankly, led to many successes now, even in implementing those provisions that President has done. Many of those we celebrated yesterday at a White House conference on hunger, nutrition, and health. prgtoken She is not just technically knowledgeable, she is also unflappable and politically savvy. America's ag producers and American families have benefited enormously from her dedication and her hard work. prgtoken Some of the fondest memories I have of Jacqlyn are from our 2014 trip to Africa. It was women members of the Agriculture Committee and a number of other women Senators--the first, and I think maybe to this day, the only all-women Senators codel that has been done in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Over the course of 10 days, we visited five countries on two continents. Many of our stops were in very rural areas, where we met with women farmers. It was very inspiring. prgtoken The codel focused on food security, global hunger, empowering women and girls, as well as agricultural trade. Given her deep knowledge of and passion for these issues, Jacqlyn was an amazing resource for our Senate delegation. prgtoken Jacqlyn, thank you so much for your dedication and years of hard work on behalf of American agriculture and American families, and--I have to say--particularly on behalf of Michigan. I am going to miss you as part of the team, and I wish you incredible success and happiness in your new venture. prgtoken . prgtoken .
RECOGNIZING HYDROCEPHALUS AWARENESS MONTH
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. Every September patients, caregivers, and their families come together throughout our Nation in support of the more than 1,000,000 people of all ages living with hydrocephalus in the United States. prgtoken As co-chair of the Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus, I believe Congress has an important role to play in raising awareness of this condition and crafting policies that result in better treatments and potentially a cure. I urge my colleagues to join the caucus to learn more about this devastating condition. In addition, I urge you to join Representative Chris Smith and me in showing your support for this community by cosponsoring our resolution, H. Res. 20, which supports the goals and ideals of Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. prgtoken Hydrocephalus is a complex, chronic neurological condition caused by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. From newborns to seniors, anyone can develop hydrocephalus at any time. prgtoken The breathtaking prevalence of this condition is reflected in my own district. I recently met a constituent in Austin who described the challenges she has faced due to the limited treatment options available for hydrocephalus. prgtoken Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for brain surgery in young children. The physicians and staff at the Children's Hospital of San Antonio perform the brain surgeries necessary to treat many of the one in 770 babies across the country who develop hydrocephalus each year. prgtoken Veterans and active military personnel, such as those stationed at Joint Base San Antonio, are disproportionally affected. Since 2000, more than 370,000 U.S. service members have sustained a traumatic brain injury, and it is estimated that 14 percent of those individuals with severe TBI--over 50,000 service members--could develop hydrocephalus as a result. prgtoken Let's join together in recognizing Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. Congressman Smith and I welcome all colleagues to become members of the Congressional Pediatric and Hydrocephalus Caucus and cosponsoring H. Res. 20.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: VALLEY LUCHADORES
Tony Cárdenas (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to honor Veronica Padilla- Campos as a Valley Luchadora. prgtoken Veronica continues to serve the community she grew up in and has been fighting for environmental justice in the San Fernando Valley for the past 25 years. prgtoken She grew up in Sun Valley and is a daughter of hardworking parents. Her dad was a gardener, and her mom worked at a local factory. prgtoken A graduate of UCLA, she has experience in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, including environmental consulting, GIS mapping, and work for the Los Angeles Housing Department. prgtoken Throughout the last decade, Veronica has played a crucial role at Pacoima Beautiful, a grassroots environmental justice organization in my district that provides education, impacts local policy, and supports local arts and culture to promote a healthy and sustainable San Fernando Valley. prgtoken She joined Pacoima Beautiful as deputy director in 2010 and has served as executive director since 2013. During her leadership, she has spearheaded environmental cleanup and safety campaigns in some of the poorest and hardest-impacted areas of Los Angeles County. prgtoken Previously, she helped lead ICON CDC, a community-based, not-for- profit organization that serves small business owners and entrepreneurs, and serves on the North Valley Area Planning Commission for the city of Los Angeles. prgtoken In 2020, Veronica joined the South Coast Air Quality Management District as a board member, after being appointed by the speaker of the California State Assembly. prgtoken In her role as board member, she continues her commitment to building people power and improving the lives and voices of her community. She creates equitable, healthy, and safe neighborhoods every single day by her commitment to the community and the wonderful work that she does. prgtoken Thank you, Veronica, for your countless years of public service. It is my honor to recognize you as a distinguished community leader and luchadora during Hispanic Heritage Month. Honoring Corinne Sanchez
AMENDING SECTION 301 OF TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE, TO ESTABLISH A TERM FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-9-29

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in strong support of S. 4791. This bill, which was introduced by Senator Roy Blunt, passed the Senate by unanimous consent. It would establish a term of 10 years for the Director of the Government Publishing Office. prgtoken Unlike the heads of other legislative branch agencies like the Architect of the Capitol, the Comptroller General, and the Librarian of Congress, the Senate-confirmed Director of the Government Publishing Office has no defined term. prgtoken Now, the Government Publishing Office, or GPO, as we often refer to it, is one of the true treasures of the legislative branch. Since it was founded in 1861, it has grown from a modest operation to one of the world's largest and most renowned information organizations. prgtoken Every day, GPO provides the government and public both conventionally printed products like the Congressional Record and passports, and digital services like eBooks, digital publishing, mobile access, and more. It also plays a key role in continuity of government in case of an emergency. prgtoken Over the course of the past several years, we have seen firsthand the importance of effective leadership at GPO. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the largest disruption to agency operations since the Civil War. But thanks in no small part to the leadership of Director Hugh Halpern, GPO provided top-notch, uninterrupted service to Congress to ensure that we were able to provide relief to American families, communities, and small businesses; and the agency did so thoughtfully and responsibly, with the discipline needed to stay as safe as possible. prgtoken In fact, one prominent business award organization named GPO the ``Most Valuable Employer During the COVID-19 Pandemic.'' prgtoken This bill would bring the GPO in line with the rest of the legislative branch and establish the same 10-year term for its director that currently exists for the Architect of the Capitol and the Librarian of Congress. As with those agencies, the Director of the Government Publishing Office would be eligible for reappointment and, given his track record, certainly would have earned it. prgtoken Formalizing the term of the director will ensure that the agency has effective leadership and allow for increased transparency and accountability. For these reasons, I encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. prgtoken , .
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from California for his enormous leadership, and I thank the sponsors of this legislation for their hard work. prgtoken It is always baffling to me, as I have spoken on the floor of the House and served in this Congress, how colleagues can look a crisis in the face and run head-on as a locomotive, smashing the solution, speaking ill about those who need and are suffering, and that is what we are hearing today. prgtoken I am very glad to rise in support of the Mental Health Matters Act, H.R. 7780, and I hope some of my friends on the other side of the aisle will recognize that we are the problem-solvers. We are not the bomb- throwers. We are not supposed to be looking at every solution, and because it comes from somebody of a different party, we want to fight them for it. prgtoken I know what happened during the pandemic. I was out in the community doing testing and vaccinations. I talked to parents about online learning, those who didn't have access to broadband, and I knew what it did to the children. prgtoken Why? Because children view schools and their daily activities as their work. Adults go to work; children go to school. It builds their confidence, their sense of esteem, their friendships, lifelong friendships. That was all undone because of the pandemic. prgtoken Do you know what else we did? We saved lives. If we had continued in- school learning, we would have lost thousands of children and their families. prgtoken We must repair what was broken, not because we broke it but because there was a pandemic. So, this legislation provides grants to build a pipeline of school-based mental health service providers, more nurses in the school. It directs the Department of Education to award grants to State agencies to develop more school-based mental health providers. It requires institutions of higher learning to let incoming students with existing documentation have access to disability resources and creates a grant program I am most excited about, increasing student access to treatment of evidence-based trauma. They experienced trauma. prgtoken Add to that trauma the families in Uvalde that I visited on Monday who are still crying with the pain of the loss of their children. prgtoken It is clearly a bill that we should accept, and it is a bill that I support enthusiastically, Mr. Chair, the Mental Health Matters Act, H.R. 7780.
HONORING BORICUACTIVATED
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to honor and congratulate BoricuActivatEd on 5 years of training the next generation of advocates. prgtoken BoricuActivatEd founded by a former Congressional staffer, Jennice Fuentes, is a civic engagement non-profit working with adults of all ages, other non-profits and community organizations from coast to coast to help empower communities of color. In fact, what they do is very simple and straightforward: they help people know how to speak to elected officials just like us. Most of our constituents may even be intimidated at the prospect of approaching our staff, our offices and each one of us in Congress. But BoricuActivatEd, deconstructs the process for our communities. They help folks understand the ABCs of how to engage with elected officials with the respect and authority and command of the request that is needed. prgtoken BoricuActivatEd works with everyone who cares about building a better and more democratic society, from high school students to retirees. This year, for the second year in a row, BoricuActivatEd continued its series of trainings for high school students at the Esperanza Academy Charter School in Philadelphia, where my Chief of Staff was able to meet with some of these students and see firsthand how powerful the BoricuActivatEd training can be. prgtoken BoricuActivatEd is changing lives and our democracy for the better. Congratulations on 5 years. We are looking forward to many more.
Nomination of Arianna J. Freeman (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-9-29

the Senate will soon vote to confirm another outstanding nominee to the Federal bench: Arianna Freeman, nominated to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken Ms. Freeman is an accomplished appellate attorney and a ground- breaking pick for the Third Circuit. Her perspective, experience, and legal acumen will greatly benefit the court. And once confirmed, she will be the first Black woman to serve on the Third Circuit. prgtoken After earning her B.A. with honors from Swarthmore College and her J.D. from Yale Law School, Ms. Freeman clerked for three judges on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, based in Philadelphia. prgtoken In 2009, following her clerkships, Ms. Freeman joined the Federal Community Defender's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, an office she has served with distinction. As a Federal public defender, Ms. Freeman has dedicated her career to representing indigent criminal defendants seeking to vindicate their constitutional rights-- to due process, effective assistance of counsel, and other constitutional guarantees. prgtoken Unfortunately, some of my colleagues have suggested that Ms. Freeman's public defense work disqualifies her from judicial service. prgtoken In reality, Ms. Freeman has undertaken this work in support of the Constitution and the rule of law. Her zealous advocacy has helped to ensure that the protections of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments are made real for criminal defendants. Throughout her career, she has advanced the cause of equal justice under law. prgtoken Ms. Freeman received a unanimous rating of ``well qualified'' from the American Bar Association. prgtoken She has the strong support of Senator Casey, as well as many leaders in the Pennsylvania legal community. This includes four former Federal prosecutors who sent a letter to the Judiciary Committee writing, ``We are impressed by Arianna's diligence, intelligence, dedication, and integrity. It is because of her ethics and compassion, grounded in sensibility, that we are confident she will provide sound and measured opinions, while approaching each case without bias and with respect for the rule of law.'' prgtoken I will support Ms. Freeman's confirmation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
BULK INFANT FORMULA TO RETAIL SHELVES ACT
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to address the ongoing baby formula crisis and urge my colleagues to support the Bulk Infant Formula to Retail Shelves Act. prgtoken I raised two kids, and I know the first months of parenthood are tiring and stressful, even in the best of circumstances. But families across the country remain in a challenging position as they try to find formula that they need to feed their babies. prgtoken Nationally, 61 percent of formula shelves are still empty. In my home State of Washington, it has been hit harder, with 67 percent of formula shelves empty. While that is an improvement from the May nationwide high of 86 percent, we in Congress have an obligation to do more. prgtoken Part of the improvement we have seen over the last few months can be attributed to legislation that I led with Chairman Blumenauer, Ranking Member Adrian Smith, and my Ways and Means colleagues back in July that lifted tariffs on imported baby formula. This Chamber and the Senate passed the legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support. prgtoken There are still more actions, though, that Congress can take to support families, and that is what this legislation that we will vote on today will do. prgtoken Consider what this legislation would mean to parents. Jessie is a mom in my district who has been struggling to find formula for her 7-month- old daughter, Amara. She is not one to ask for help often, but when she was running low on her last can, Jessie joined a local social media group where other parents would post where they saw formula on the shelves. She downloaded an app that would notify her when more cans were available and made backup plans for donated breast milk if it came to that. prgtoken Jessie was able to find formula in the end but realizes that she is one of the lucky parents who had the means and the network to support her daughter. Not all parents have these resources. prgtoken The Bulk Infant Formula to Retail Shelves Act would boost domestic baby formula production and get more product on our shelves. It would do so by lifting tariffs through the end of the year on safe imported base powder. This is a key component filled with essential proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that are mixed with other nutrients and ingredients to make the formula that parents buy on store shelves or online. prgtoken Lifting these tariffs and getting more formula on physical shelves would be especially helpful for families participating in the WIC program, the Women, Infants, and Children program. prgtoken For the WIC program, parents must use those resources in brick-and- mortar retail stores, and they can't be used for online purchases currently. About half of the baby formula purchased in the United States is purchased through WIC. prgtoken This legislation has strong bipartisan support from the leadership of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, Chair Blumenauer, R
RECOGNIZING THE NEVADA TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Nevada Taxpayers Association. prgtoken In 1922, Nevadans started the organization that would become the Nevada Taxpayers Association, NTA. From its first office located in the Reno National Bank Building, the small organization has continued to work on behalf of Nevada taxpayers. It is now one of the oldest governmental research and advocacy associations, not only in Nevada but in the United States. prgtoken Today, the NTA is a renowned tax policy and analysis organization, providing valuable service to the citizens of the Silver State. NTA advocates on behalf of Nevada's working families for policies that promote efficiency, accountability and common sense. NTA ensures State and local lawmakers have the data and expert analysis to craft fair tax policy, including by providing the public with ``Tax Facts,'' a digest of tax history dating back nearly 50 years. prgtoken NTA had the foresight to advocate with the Nevada Legislature to establish a rainy day fund to insulate the State budget from dramatic swings that sometimes resulted in tough choices and devastating cuts to critical services such as education and healthcare. There are many examples of NTA raising difficult issues that required legislators across the aisle to work together. From helping establish the Nevada Gaming Law in the 1930s, to developing a ``computers for schools program'' for Nevada's public school system, the association has played an active role in fiscal policy analysis and research that has strengthened our State for the benefit of every Nevadan. prgtoken Congratulations to the Nevada Taxpayers Association on its 100th anniversary and for supporting good government in Nevada. I look forward to its continued success.