mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT AS RELATED TO COVID-19
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 908--Condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19. I praise my distinguished colleague, Congresswoman Grace Meng, First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), for her exemplary leadership on this Resolution on behalf of Asian-Americans and Asian and Pacific Islander communities all over the world. prgtoken With this Resolution, I am reminded of the talented and brave Asians and Asian-Americans who have helped lead us through COVID-19. I think of my district's University of Toledo Medical Center's molecular specialist, Dr. Ji-Youn Yeo, Ph.D a Postdoctoral Fellow of South Korean descent. Dr. Yeo's expertise helped the Center's coronavirus pathology lab modify its test to keep employees safe during the testing process. First Lady of Maryland, Yumi Hogan, was instrumental in obtaining 500,000 testing kits for Maryland by working with the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, Lee Soo Hyuk. The people of South Korea were able to minimize the devastation of COVID-19 on its own shores and became an example to the world by implementing lessons and procedures learned from its MERS outbreak. These efforts are a significant representation of how Asian communities are helping to combat the corona virus. prgtoken To incite anti-Asian sentiments through racism, discrimination, or religious intolerance, especially related to COVID-19, is an insult to the very people who have helped shape our country. At this difficult time as we experience a resurgence of this troubling discrimination, I am reminded of my trailblazing colleagues as they continue the fight against discrimination, and through their efforts, are making our nation a fairer and more just society. One such trailblazer is the distinguished Chairwoman of CAPAC, Congresswoman Judy Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to the United States Congress. She has served with great dignity and has been a fierce leader and advocate for Asian Americans. Former Congressman and CAPAC Chair Emeritus, Mike Honda, a statesman who was forced into a Japanese internment camp with his family in Colorado and then thrived to become a Member of the United States House of Representatives. He experienced xenophobia firsthand, and we heartfully thank him for teaching all those who face oppression that they have the ability to overcome and achieve remarkable things. I also recognize our distinguished Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Congressman Mark Takano. He is a consummate educator and brave leader who became the first openly gay person of color to serve in Congress. These are some of America's finest patriots. prgtoken I had the honor and privilege to serve with Congress' first female Member of color, Patsy Mink. A third generation Japanese American, she achieved greatness through insurmountable barriers. A fighter for the fundamen
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF TONY CORBO
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-9-18

. Madam , it is with the heaviest of hearts that I rise today to pay tribute to Tony Corbo, one of the original founders of Food and Water Watch. Tony was one of the fiercest consumer advocates I have ever had the good fortune to have known and his loss will be deeply felt by all of those who had the opportunity to know and work with him. ``Fight Like You Live Here'' was a motto that drove Tony's passionate advocacy in food safety. He described himself as a ``watchdog of big Ag'' and it was profession to which he dedicated himself for more than twenty years. He held a particular focus on food safety, consumer safety, and worker health which led to his ardent efforts to both better protect our food supply as well as food processing workers. During my tenure in Congress, l worked closely with Tony on critical issues--from Chinese chicken and linespeeds in slaughterhouses to worker safety issues and advancing trade policies that protect consumers. His passion led to an expertise and keen understanding of food safety and consumer issues that was second to none. prgtoken Outside of his professional contributions, Tony was also a dedicated member of the Washington, D.C. community. An avid Nationals fan and season ticket holder, he enjoyed attending the games and rooting for his team. He was also an enthusiastic gardener and bee keeper and in what free time he had, Tony could also be found volunteering at the local garden shop. He had an engaging personality with a contagious laugh, the combination of which could draw anyone in. Tony was a special soul and that larger than life spirit will be missed by many. prgtoken Tony was a fervent ally who provided myself and my staff with invaluable counsel over the years. He was not one to take no for an answer or shy away from a fight which is why we worked so well together. Over the years, Tony and I developed a friendship for which I will always be grateful. prgtoken Though taken from us much too soon, I am honored to have this opportunity to stand and recognize Tony Corbo for the indelible mark that he left on all those who knew him. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife, Elizabeth, as well as his brother, Joe, and sister, Cathy. His is a legacy that will continue to inspire those who knew him.
CONSTITUTION DAY AND THE PRESIDENT'S ASSAULT ON THE CONSTITUTION
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-18

. Madam , I rise to honor Constitution Day. Every year, on September 17, Constitution Day reminds us that while we are a nation of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, and stories, we share at least one commonality: a collective belief in the amended document that founded our nation. prgtoken The Constitution represents what our nation strives to be: a country of laws, fairness, and justice. A nation that strives to protect the rights of each of its citizens and inhabitants and embolden, not subvert, the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. prgtoken The Founding Fathers always realized that the Constitution is an imperfect document, and that is why they allowed it to be amended. It has been amended twenty-seven times since its original ratification, and there are still people who are proposing additional amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth Amendment abolished the provision that counted African American slaves as three- fifths of a human being. The Nineteenth Amendment gave most, but not all, women the right to vote. Some provisions of our Constitution are still being debated by the American people, such as the Second Amendment. prgtoken The Founding Fathers allowed for these amendments because they understood that the Constitution would always represent a vision of a more perfect nation, and that vision must necessarily change and evolve over time. The Founding Fathers risked their lives to rebel against tyranny, and their struggle to win the freedom to write the Constitution must serve as a reminder to us that we too, if need be, must struggle to defend it. prgtoken We must honor Constitution Day not only by celebrating the document, but by pledging to protect it. Because this year, the Constitution is in need of our protection. prgtoken The President of the United States took an oath to ``preserve, protect and defend the Constitution''. It is an oath required by Article Two, Section One of the Constitution. Yet it is an oath that has not been taken seriously or upheld for four years now. prgtoken The First Amendment protects our freedom to peacefully assemble. Yet this President has deployed unmarked, unidentified federal agents to localities to tear gas and attack Americans who are peacefully assembling. prgtoken The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, yet an executive order was signed this year directing the federal government to reconsider the laws governing online speech after the President's online posts were marked as false and misleading. The executive order was an attempt to silence this President's critics, in clear violation of the First Amendment. If a person's right to free speech depends on a ruler approving what is said, then free speech does not exist at all. prgtoken The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press. In violation of this amendment, the President has called the press the ``enemy of the people''. prgtoken Article
UNIFORM TREATMENT OF NRSROS ACT
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-21

as much time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 6934, the Uniform Treatment of NRSROs, which is sponsored by Congresswoman Dean from Pennsylvania. prgtoken This important legislation from Congresswoman Dean will ensure that qualified issuers have fair access to lending facilities, and it will ensure that these facilities are granted on clear terms. prgtoken This is not a time where agencies such as the Federal Reserve should just make it up as they go along, especially when these policies disproportionately harm small and mid-sized companies. Thus, my colleague, Ms. Dean, introduced, and I was pleased to cosponsor, legislation to provide clarity in the lending process by ensuring that nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, also referred to as NRSROs, are treated uniformly. prgtoken More specifically, the Federal Reserve and Treasury often require a credit rating to apply for participation in a lending facility. When there is such a requirement, the Federal Reserve has, at times, required that the rating be issued by a specific credit rating agency or has required that the rating be from a specific category of NRSROs, such as the so-called major NRSROs. prgtoken Often, these categories are self-created by the Federal Reserve and have been undefined and unclear to issuers. These requirements act as an obstacle between issuers and these lending facilities. This clearly was not Congress' intent, as it goes against Dodd-Frank, which mandates that we foster competition among NRSROs rather than trying to make sure that companies rely only on an oligarchy of three NRSROs. prgtoken As chair of the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets, I am quite familiar with the work that has been done in the last decade to end overreliance on the big three credit agencies, which led us into the 2008 crisis. It is those big three that gave AAA ratings to Alt-A lendings, which I believe is what caused the 2008 crisis. prgtoken Decisions by the Fed and Treasury with respect to many lending facilities have threatened to undo our work to try to diversify the availability of different NRSROs. prgtoken H.R. 6934, which is limited to facilities which have been stood up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will set clear credit rating standards for both the Federal Reserve and its issuers. It also clarifies Congress' intent and will ensure that its legislative objectives are carried out at the agency level. prgtoken Most importantly, however, the legislation will result in more issuers having access to these lending facilities, an important objective during this pandemic and economic downturn, while it will still ensure that there are standards in effect that will adequately protect the facility and the interests of the taxpayer. prgtoken , I greatly appreciate Congresswoman Dean's leadership in bringing forth this important legislation, and I reserve th
CREATING A RESPECTFUL AND OPEN WORLD FOR NATURAL HAIR ACT OF 2020
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-21

I thank Representative Jackson Lee for yielding and also for her tremendous work in advancing this bill to the floor, and also to Chairman Nadler and his support for this legislation. Also, I want to thank and acknowledge Representatives Richmond, Fudge, and Pressley for their tremendous leadership and vision for putting this bill together, and I am in strong support of it. prgtoken , this morning I thought about our beloved John Lewis and how he made good trouble all of his life. He was an original cosponsor of this bill, and this bill is an example of how we make good trouble to end discrimination. prgtoken This bill will prohibit, finally, discrimination based on an individual's style or texture of hair, commonly associated with the race or national origin in the definition of racial discrimination. It is really hard for me to believe that we have to introduce this bill in the 21st century, and so I just want to thank our advocates who have worked so hard to bring this bill to the floor. prgtoken As one who has worn her hair as I chose, including natural, I have had many unpleasant encounters with people who told me I did not look like a Member of Congress because of my hair, over and over again. Discrimination against African Americans in schools and in the workplace is real, and it is a continued barrier to equality in our country. prgtoken Black men and women continue to face workplace stereotypes and are pressured to adopt White standards of beauty and professionalism. Our daughters are penalized in school for natural hairstyles deemed as messy and unruly in juxtaposition to the treatment of their White counterparts. That is a fact. prgtoken Students have been humiliated and suspended for having beautifully braided extensions or forced to cut their locks before a high school wrestling match because it was a violation of some dress code. And across the country people of African descent have been required to cut or change the natural style or texture of their hair just to get a job. prgtoken Now, when I was in college, in the day, I was told that I looked too militant and should change my hairstyle if I wanted to be successful in the workplace. prgtoken In 2014, the women of the Congressional Black Caucus urged the Army to rescind Army regulations--and Congresswoman Jackson Lee signed my letter--this was regulation 670-1, which prohibited many hairstyles worn by African-American women and other prgtoken women of color. After months of building support, I led an amendment and it was included in the fiscal year 2015 Defense Appropriations Bill to ban funding for this discriminatory rule. A few years later, the United States Navy removed their discriminatory policy.
Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Executive Session)
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2020-9-21

on this past Friday evening, on Rosh Hashanah, our Nation lost a giant of our Supreme Court. We lost a trailblazer for women's equality, a woman who, though diminutive in size, was a giant and a force for justice. prgtoken For my daughter and for all Americans, I am so grateful for the work and the service and the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Having passed on Rosh Hashanah, the tradition of the Jewish people teaches that she is especially blessed, particularly righteous. prgtoken It is heartbreaking that her dying wish, dictated to her granddaughter, was that the voters should choose the next President, and that next President her successor, and, already, there are some who are racing to undo that wish. prgtoken This was her wish because she understood the consequences of this decision for the Senate, for the American people, and for the Supreme Court, to which she dedicated 27 years of service. prgtoken If we push through a nominee now, just 43 days before an election, as half of our States are already voting, the very legitimacy of the Supreme Court may be undermined by further politicization in an already divided country. prgtoken My friends, my colleagues in the other party, used the argument in blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland in 2016 that we must give the American people a voice for the selection of the next Justice. That argument was advanced 10 months before the next election. Here, today, on this floor, the exact argument is being advanced just 43 days before an election in which half of our States are already voting. prgtoken As a colleague from Alaska recently said, the precedent set by the majority in 2016 is the precedent by which they should live now. Fair is fair. I cannot agree more. prgtoken On the ballot, on the agenda, on the docket of the Supreme Court is healthcare. This decision will have an impact on all Americans of all stripes and backgrounds. One week after the election, a case will be argued in front of the Supreme Court, Texas v. United States, which seeks to remove all that is left of the Affordable Care Act's protections--protections against preexisting condition discrimination for 100 million Americans and health insurance itself for 20 million, in the middle of a pandemic in which 6 million Americans have been infected and have new preexisting conditions, and, in some ways most gallingly, that provision of the Affordable Care Act which prohibits gender discrimination by insurance companies. prgtoken All of this is at stake, as are protections going forward after this election for clean air and clean water, for equal pay for equal work, and the right to organize. It is all on the ballot and will be on the docket. prgtoken Let me close by calling on my colleagues to do what is fair and what I believe is right: to respect their own precedent and let the American people have a voice in just 43 days and then proceed, after the election, to h
COMPETITIVE HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM ACT OF 2020
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-9-21

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 1418, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act. prgtoken This commonsense legislation repeals a longstanding antitrust exemption for the health insurance industry under the McCarran-Ferguson Act. It does so for price-fixing, bid-rigging, and market allocation-- the most egregious kinds of anticompetitive conduct. There is absolutely no justification for this broad antitrust exemption for the business of health insurance. prgtoken Congress passed the McCarran-Ferguson Act in response to a 1944 Supreme Court decision finding that the antitrust laws applied to the business of insurance. Both insurance companies and the States expressed concern about that decision. Insurance companies worried that it could jeopardize certain collective practices, like joint rate- setting and the pooling of historical data, and the States were concerned about losing their authority to regulate and tax the business of insurance. prgtoken To address these issues, McCarran-Ferguson provides that Federal antitrust laws apply to the business of insurance only to the extent that it is not regulated by State law. Unfortunately, this resulted in a broad antitrust exemption. Industry and State revenue concerns, rather than the vital goals of protecting competition and consumers, were the primary drivers of the act. prgtoken In passing McCarran-Ferguson, Congress initially intended to provide only a temporary exemption and, unfortunately, gave little consideration to competition concerns. prgtoken Not surprisingly, there is broad support for ending this safe harbor for antitrust violations that are criminally illegal. As the Antitrust Modernization Commission Report noted in 2007, the McCarran-Ferguson exemption should be repealed because it has outlived any utility it may have had and is among the most ill-conceived and egregious examples. prgtoken Furthermore, it is far from clear that the McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption was ever justified in the first place. Antitrust exemption should be exceedingly rare and should be enacted only where there are strong policy reasons for such exemption. prgtoken Carving out an entire part of a healthcare system from the antitrust laws should be unthinkable, particularly when healthcare costs are so high for many families. That is why it is time to repeal the special exemption for the insurance industry. prgtoken , , Chairman DeFazio, for his leadership on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which previously passed the House with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 416-7, and .
Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-9-21

this weekend the United States of America passed a sad milestone--200,000 recorded deaths from COVID-19. prgtoken We are a nation in mourning. In addition to 200,000 family, friends, and neighbors we have now lost to this brutal pandemic, America is also mourning the loss of a historic champion of equality, a woman who spent her entire life, every ounce of her strength and talent she was given, in pursuit of America's highest ideal: equal justice under the law. prgtoken Jewish teaching says that those who die just before the Jewish New Year are those whom God has held back until the last moment because they were most needed on Earth. So it seems fitting that Ruth Bader Ginsburg left this world as the Sun was setting last Friday, marking the start of Rosh Hashanah. prgtoken Years before, Ruth Bader Ginsburg made history as only the second woman ever to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Even at that time, she had already earned an enduring place in American history. She has been called the Thurgood Marshall of the gender equality movement. As a lawyer and law professor, she was the mastermind in the 1970s behind a legal strategy that finally began to dismantle an American legal system that treated women in many ways as second-class citizens. Law Professor David Cole called her strategy ``radical incrementalism.'' prgtoken It is hard today for many Americans to imagine how deeply entrenched and how commonly accepted gender discrimination was in American law-- and American society--before Ruth Bader Ginsburg began her legal crusade to make real for women the words carved above the doors of the U.S. Supreme Court: ``Equal Justice Under Law.'' The legal challenges she brought changed the way the world is for women and for all Americans. prgtoken Before she began her legal crusade, women were treated, by law, differently than men. Hundreds of State and Federal laws and programs restricted what women could do. Many jobs were legally closed to women. Many basic economic, social, and legal rights that we now take for granted were legally denied to women for no reason other than gender. prgtoken Before the legal victories achieved by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a woman often could not--on her own--buy a car, open a checking account, get a credit card, sign a lease, obtain a mortgage, buy real estate, open a business, or obtain a business loan. She needed a man to co-sign. prgtoken Before Ruth Bader Ginsburg, women could be--and were--barred from public institutions and excluded from whole professions. They could be demoted or fired if they became pregnant. In fact, Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself was forced to accept a lower paying job at the Social Security Administration when she became pregnant, at the age of 21, with her first child. prgtoken Her legal strategy was cautious and strategic. Knowing that she needed to persuade mostly male judges--including an all-male Supreme Court--she chose cases that illustrated how