mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-20

first I want to thank my friend and colleague, the senior Senator from the State of Illinois. He is always on the money, pushing this country to do what its better angels recommend, and I hope America listens to his floor speech today and every day because what he is doing would make America a better, stronger, more unified, more humane, and more compassionate place. prgtoken As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to inflict our country, businesses are suffering, families are struggling to pay the rent, millions of Americans are filing for unemployment every single week, and tens of thousands of Americans are dying. prgtoken Every aspect of American society has been changed by this crisis-- except, perhaps, the Senate. Here it is business as usual. prgtoken Leader McConnell has spent 3 weeks of the Senate's time largely on nominations, only one of whom is directly related to COVID-19. There is not one bill on the floor of the Senate having to do with COVID in the entire month of May. The leader has put none on the floor. prgtoken have had to relentlessly pressure our colleagues to hold even the most routine and needed oversight hearings on the coronavirus. Coronavirus is raging, and people are upset about how the administration is implementing it. We don't have hearings until we push, push, push for them, and then they happen few, far between, and too late. prgtoken It would be one thing if the majority were doing this other business while negotiating with on the next phase of emergency relief, but s are not negotiating about the next phase of emergency relief. Many of my colleagues on the other side have said that more relief just isn't necessary. prgtoken The leader rejected legislation from the House of Representatives before the bill was even drafted--a knee-jerk partisan response at a time when we should be working together to help our suffering constituents. For the life of me, I don't know why it has been so difficult to get our friends on the other side to focus on the ongoing national crisis, and it appears that the lack of focus, the lack of urgency, and the lack of compassion from the majority are about to get even worse. prgtoken Today, in the Homeland Security Committee, the chairman has convened a hearing that slanders the family of the President's political opponent. Believe it or not, this powerful Senate committee, with broad jurisdiction over so many aspects of the government's response to the ongoing pandemic, is prioritizing yet another attempt to smear Vice President . The committee could be holding a hearing today with the FEMA Administrator to discuss disaster assistance. But, no, the highest priority of Senate s lies in promoting conspiracy theories that have already been discredited on numerous occasions--conspiracy theories, which, by the way, are known to be part of Russian
MEMORIAL DAY
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-5-20

I rise today to pay special tribute to the Michigan heroes who have given their lives for their country while serving in our military. This is an especially fitting time to do so as we commemorate the 75th anniversary this year of the end of World War II. prgtoken The people of Michigan have always stood up whenever our Nation has needed us. That was certainly the case during World War II. Perhaps no State was as crucial to our Nation's victory in the fight against tyranny as was Michigan. prgtoken More than half a million Michigan men and women proudly served in uniform in the Pacific Theater, the Atlantic Theater, and anywhere and everywhere we were called. Back home, the people of our State were hard at work producing the bombers, tanks, trucks, helmets, and guns needed to win the war. We were the Arsenal of Democracy, and both at home and abroad, victory depended on us, the people of Michigan. prgtoken We won that fight; yet the costs were staggeringly high. Sadly, more than 10,000 Michiganders never made it home. These were our beloved children and parents, siblings and cousins, friends and neighbors. We were so incredibly proud of their willingness to give everything--even their lives--to defend freedom; yet that pride could never fully fill the aching loss our families and communities endured. Those losses are still felt 75 years later. prgtoken Now, once again, Michigan is mourning. Far too many of our beloved children and parents, siblings and cousins, friends and neighbors have been lost to an invisible enemy that can't be seen or heard; yet just as we did in World War II--just as Michigan has always done--we are standing up, and we are fighting back, together. prgtoken Our plants once produced bombers and tanks; today, they are producing ventilators and respirators, gowns and testing supplies. People are stepping up to serve across our State: tending the sick in our hospitals and clinics, delivering food to neighbors in need, even sewing masks to keep one another safe. prgtoken Seventy-five years after World War II, a lot of things have changed, but one thing hasn't: The people of Michigan are still willing to step up and serve whenever and wherever we are needed, and we are needed today. prgtoken On Memorial Day and every day, let us remember all servicemembers we have lost, thank those who are still with us, and surround our military families with love and support. Our military members and veterans have provided us the very best examples to follow. Let's honor their service and sacrifice with our actions.
Small Business Administration (Executive Calendar)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-5-20

I think each person in this body recognizes the importance of small business to our economy and to our way of life. Small businesses are called the job creator in our economy. They create more jobs than larger companies. They provide innovative ways in order to move forward on our economy. They can figure out better ways to do things more efficiently, meeting the needs of the people of our community. prgtoken They are also more vulnerable. They don't have access to the type of capital that larger companies have. They don't have the resiliency. So when COVID-19 struck, we recognized--those of us in the Senate and the House recognized that we had to take special effort to protect the economic viability of the small businesses in our country. They did not have the reserve capital and they did not have the resiliency to deal with this prolonged downturn in our economy. prgtoken Eight weeks ago, we came together, and s, by a 96-to-0 vote and passed the CARES Act. I was proud that a significant part of the CARES Act responded to the needs of small businesses. prgtoken We had a working group, a bipartisan working group. Senator Rubio, the chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee--I am the ranking --we were joined by Senator Shaheen and Senator Collins, and we worked in an expedited way in order to see what we could do to help small businesses get through COVID-19. prgtoken The CARES Act provides new opportunities for us to help small businesses during this unprecedented disaster. We passed the PPP program, the Paycheck Protection Program, and provided $660 billion of help for America's small businesses. prgtoken I want to compliment the men and women at the Small Business Administration and at Treasury for putting this program together literally overnight, and today 4.3 million loans have been given under this program that didn't exist just 8 weeks ago. prgtoken There are $513 billion in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. That is quite an accomplishment, but there are challenges. There are challenges with any new program, but this program has major concerns. When we passed the program, we thought that 8 weeks later, our economy would be performing at a much higher level than it is today. We need to revisit that. prgtoken A second program that we modified and changed was the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. We provided an additional $50 billion of funds for the EIDL loans so that the Small Business Administration, which makes direct loans, could provide $360 billion of additional loans to small businesses. prgtoken The EIDL Program works with the PPP program. The PPP program covers payroll for 8 weeks, plus some additional expenses. The EIDL Program provides working capital so small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 can stay afloat. prgtoken Here, the results are nowhere near as promising. Only 252,000 loans have been issued u
SMART Act (Executive Calendar)
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-5-20

I thank Senators Cassidy and Menendez for leading on this extraordinary bill and the broad bipartisan support that it has. prgtoken I know Senator Menendez and I have both been mayors in our communities, and when there is no crisis, we know intimately the challenges that so many of our public servants face. In times when we do not see pandemics, our firefighters put their lives on the line, our police officers put their lives on the line, and our teachers extraordinarily work above and beyond the call of duty. Indeed, our communities are strong because of these dedicated public workers. prgtoken At a time of crisis, we see that our teachers are rising to the challenge, working to keep their students engaged, even though they are now miles apart. I hear stories of teachers riding around, going out to visit students, keeping their distance but ensuring that the students get the support they need. prgtoken Our firefighters are out there now, putting their lives even more at a risk, putting themselves on the line to help their communities. prgtoken Police officers are answering calls without hesitation, despite the great risk that puts on them and their families when they go home. prgtoken So many of our other public servants are working diligently to keep our communities running, to keep our States strong to meet a crisis, and to try to help folks stay healthy and stay safe. Without hesitation, across New Jersey--across all of our 50 States--we are seeing more clearly the heroic actions of people who are leading in a time of crisis. prgtoken But as was said by my colleagues, across the country, States are being hit by significantly declining revenues and extraordinarily increasing costs. We are already seeing early projections, as discussed by my colleagues. Even independent rating agencies like Moody's are talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in deficits for our State and local governments. prgtoken My own Governor has estimated New Jersey's protracted gap caused by those declining revenues--those extremely rising costs--to be somewhere between $20 and $30 billion. prgtoken Due to these shortfalls, without immediate action from Congress, State and local governments will be forced to make deep cuts to public services, including laying off folks who are not just essential in word but who often make the difference between life and death, safety or crisis in our communities. These would be the workers who would be laid off at a time when we need them the most. prgtoken Not only do we need these vital public servants on the job, protecting our communities, educating our kids, and supporting our neighbors, but cuts like these actually will aggravate and deepen the overall economic crisis facing our country. Independent rating agencies and others say that cuts like these will actually prolong our economic crisis and the time needed for recovery. This is not the time for half measures. This is th
TRIBUTE TO SHARON LONG
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-5-21

it is Thursday, one of my favorite times of the week, because it is the time I get to come to the Senate floor and recognize an extraordinary Alaskan whom we refer to as the Alaskan of the Week. prgtoken Now, Memorial Day is fast approaching. It is certainly one of the most sacred days in our Nation throughout the year. For this week's Alaskan of the Week, Sharon Long, it is a day that is a particularly profound day. prgtoken Sharon Long is a Gold Star mother who lives in Anchorage, and she remembers her son, Grant Fraser, every day of the year. For her and her family and for so many people who knew Grant and who served with Grant, Memorial Day is a day when his memory is particularly honored. prgtoken Before I get into Sharon Long's story, as well as the remarkable story of her son Grant, let me talk a little bit about what is going on in Alaska right now as we, in our country, continue to face the challenges of this pandemic. prgtoken We are doing pretty well in our State, medically, certainly. Things could, of course, change quickly. We remain vigilant as a State, but the number of people infected by the virus is very low. Businesses are starting to reopen. Life, by no means, is back to normal, and there is much that we are going to need to do to recover from this virus and pandemic, which has very, very negatively impacted so many parts of the great State of Alaska's economy--the energy sector, tourism sector, fishery sector. We will get through this stronger and more resilient, but it is a challenging time. prgtoken As you know, Memorial Day weekend commemorates many virtues in our Nation: service, selflessness, and, of course, sacrifice. But Memorial Day also commemorates and inspires hope. I know hope can be a bit hard to come by during these challenging times, but I don't think we have to go very far to see signs of hope. prgtoken In our great Nation and in my great State, hope is in the faces of those we love. In Alaska, it is in our mountains and our glaciers and our clear waters. It is also woven into the fabric of our country and the soul of our Nation. It is at the very heart of who we are, and it has been so throughout our history, often manifesting itself in the battles that have shaped our Nation over decades and over centuries that define so much of the American character and the people who fought those battles and died defending their Nation whom we commemorate this weekend. Hope is what Sharon Long and other Gold Star mothers throughout our State and Nation who have lost a child while defending America have to offer us. prgtoken So let me tell you about Sharon's story and about her son, Marine Corps LCpl Grant Fraser, who gave his life for this Nation. From Seattle, Sharon moved to our State to live with her aunt and uncle when she was just 16 years old. She graduated from West High School in Anchorage, studied political science at Alaska Methodist University, which is now Ala
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-5-21

I rise today to discuss the single most dangerous geopolitical threat that America faces now and through the next century--China. prgtoken We are in the midst of a pandemic that has infected over 5 million people and has claimed the lives of over 300,000 people worldwide. In the United States alone, the pandemic has infected over 1.5 million people and has claimed over 93,000 lives. prgtoken The coronavirus pandemic has shattered the lives of husbands and wives, daughters, sons, granddaughters, grandsons, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. prgtoken It has also shattered the lives of those who have lost their jobs, their livelihoods, because of this disease. prgtoken Thirty-eight million Americans are now out of work. The unemployment rate is at the highest it has ever been since the Great Depression, and entire industries are on the brink of collapse. Just 4 months ago, when the economy was booming, that was unthinkable. prgtoken Where did this pandemic start? In China. Whether it began at the Huanan wet market, a barbaric breeding ground for disease, where snakes and turtles and puppies and kittens and bats and other wildlife and farm animals are killed and sold, or whether it began due to substandard safety protocols at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where research into coronavirus was being conducted and specifically coronavirus from bats, we don't yet know. prgtoken Here is what we do know: Not only did the coronavirus outbreak start in China, the Chinese Communist Government did everything it could to cover up the severity of the outbreak, from lying about the origin of the virus to how it is transmitted, to destroying evidence, to silencing the brave whistleblower doctors and scientists and journalists and activists who tried to warn the world and prevent a global pandemic. prgtoken It has been reported recently that between January 1 and April 4, the Chinese Government charged 484 people with crimes because of comments they made about the coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken In Wuhan, eight doctors who sounded the alarm about coronavirus in December were accused of spreading lies, arrested, and forced to sign documents claiming that they had made false statements that ``disturbed the public order.'' prgtoken In reality, they were telling the truth. They were warning us. prgtoken One of those doctors, Dr. Ai Fen, has been missing since late March. Another, Dr. Li Wenliang, has since died from the coronavirus. Dr. Li Wenliang's wife was pregnant with the couple's second child when he died. prgtoken And it is not just Chinese doctors who are paying the price for telling the truth; journalists and activists who courageously spoke up are disappearing too. prgtoken Xu Zhangrun, a Chinese law professor who spoke out about the Chinese Government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and criticized Chinese President Xi, has been missing since February. prgtoken Chen Qiushi
Senate Accomplishments (Executive Session)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-5-21

in 50 minutes we are voting to confirm the nominee as Director of National Intelligence. Today, I want to discuss Congressman Ratcliffe's confirmation as Director of National intelligence. prgtoken I want to congratulate that Congressman on a job well done. With this new position comes great responsibility. Congressman Ratcliffe will have tremendous power to do good and to be transparent. prgtoken I would like to remind Congressman Ratcliffe, as I have reminded many heads of departments before, transparency brings accountability, and the public's business ought to be public. prgtoken By its very nature, the intelligence community is a secretive bunch. They often operate in the shadows and have to in order to do the job that we ask them to do to protect our national security. prgtoken However, that doesn't mean when Congress asks them questions, the intelligence community has a license to withhold information. prgtoken When Congress comes knocking, the intelligence community must answer. After all, the intelligence community does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. The intelligence community is a creation of Congress; Congress isn't a creation of the intelligence prgtoken community. The intelligence community answers to us and, in turn, to the American people. prgtoken Acting Director Grenell, now in that position as acting, understood that. He is perhaps one of the most transparent government officials in my time serving the great people of Iowa. prgtoken Ambassador Grenell is a breath of fresh air. Mr. Ratcliffe has some big shoes to fill; that is for sure. Luckily, he has Acting Director Grenell's example to guide him. prgtoken Mr. Grenell's short time as Acting Director has resulted in a number of very important items being declassified. For example, he and Attorney General Barr declassified dozens of footnotes from the Justice Department's inspector general's report that show how the Department of Justice and the FBI mishandled the Russian investigation. prgtoken To give some highlights of what those previously classified footnotes show, let me go through six or seven of them. prgtoken One, the Russian intelligence was aware of Steele's anti- research in early July 2016, before the FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane. That means the Russians knew they could possibly use the Steele dossier as a vehicle to plant disinformation and sow chaos to undermine the American Government. prgtoken Two, the FBI had an open counterintelligence case on Steele's key source, but they failed to give that information to the FISA Court. prgtoken The FBI had intelligence that some of Steele's sources had connections to Russian intelligence. That is point three. prgtoken Point four, Steele had sources connected to the Presidential administration, and some supported Clinton, not . prgtoken Five, the Crossfire Hurricane team was aware in late January 2017 that Russian intelligence may have targeted Orbis. Orbis is Steele'
TRIBUTE TO JILL LEBLANC
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2020-5-21

this week I have the honor of recognizing Jill LeBlanc of Broadwater County for her tremendous efforts to support the community during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken Jill is a certified physician assistant working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic at the Broadwater Health Center. prgtoken During the early stages of the pandemic, when the State of Montana was responding to its first cases and health clinics were still navigating procedures on how to handle the COVID-19 outbreak, Jill dropped everything to go serve. She moved out of her home to keep her children safe and spent countless hours at the hospital educating herself and the staff at Broadwater Health Center with the necessary information and up to date procedures on how to handle the outbreak. prgtoken Jill spent one-on-one time with each nurse on her shift to provide consistent updates and guidance on CDC guidelines, proper protective equipment protocols, how to handle isolated patients, and methods to conduct testing for COVID-19, both inside the Broadwater Health Center and through the drive-thru triage system. prgtoken When Jill is not working at Broadwater Health Center, she spends additional time sharpening her skills at Deer Lodge Medical Center and Benefis, where volumes of patients are higher. prgtoken It is my honor to recognize Jill as a health care hero working to protect the health and safety of all Montanans during these uncertain times. I know that the staff and the patients at Broadwater Health Center are grateful for Jill's selflessness and leadership during this pandemic. I am grateful to Jill for the extraordinary work she is doing to support her community.