mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PRAYER
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-8-6

communities all across the country are suffering from exposure to PFAS--commonly used chemicals that do not break down and have been linked to serious health problems. prgtoken This amendment would strike a provision in the bill that would help DHS repair and upgrade its facilities to protect surrounding communities and frontline DHS personnel from these harmful chemicals. prgtoken This amendment, instead, seeks to continue the past administration's efforts to fund and construct an ill-conceived border wall on the southern border. prgtoken I agree that we need secure borders, but we need smart and cost- effective security measures, including technology and adequate personnel levels to meet our border security needs. prgtoken We should be working together in a bipartisan manner to develop smart investments in border security. prgtoken Let's secure our southern and northern borders instead of throwing taxpayer dollars to build a costly and ineffective wall. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote no.
PRAYER
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-8-6

Members, the Senator from Tennessee just provided us with this copy of his new amendment, and I hope you will take a look at it because it is recommitting this motion for 3 days. End of conversation, end of debate, end of any possibility of passing what we consider to be a major piece of legislation, from prescription drugs, dealing with environmental issues, and the list goes on. We have faced this so many times already in the last 12 or 14 hours. prgtoken But the second thing I would like to note is, we understand the seriousness of this challenge, so much so that we have already decided it is a crime, and it is a crime that can be prosecuted. And it is a crime that is investigated and enforced by an Agency of the Federal Government which we funded just 4 months ago. Four months ago, we gave $8 billion to ICE for this purpose. Thirty-one s voted against funding this purpose. One of them was the Senator from Tennessee. prgtoken So now we are told we need the money, but 4 months ago he wouldn't vote for it. I think we know what we have here. We have a challenge that really is important to this motion that both parties share, but we have a political challenge with an effort to derail this measure today. Stick together and vote against this amendment.
HONORING THE DEDICATION OF THE BALL FAMILY
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2022-8-6

I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy with Senator Wyden for clarification regarding a tax provision included in the bill currently before the Senate. Section 13704 of the bill, which concerns production credits for biofuels, defines ``transportation fuel'' that can qualify for the credit as a fuel that is suitable for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft. The fuel must also be below a carbon emissions ceiling and meet a processing requirement. prgtoken Senator Wyden, as chair of the Finance Committee, is it his understanding that, although a fuel must be suitable for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft to qualify for this biofuel production credit, it may still actually be used for any business purpose, including as transportation fuel, industrial fuel, or for residential or commercial heat?
HONORING THE DEDICATION OF THE BALL FAMILY
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-8-6

I rise today to engage in a colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Wyden. prgtoken I want to ask for a clarification of the provision in the underlying bill regarding the corporate book minimum tax. Is it the chairman's understanding and intent that, because the corporate alternative minimum tax is based on financial statement income, it does not include Other Comprehensive Income?
PRAYER
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-8-6

it has been a long, tough, and winding road, but at last--at last--we have arrived. prgtoken I know it has been a long day and a long night, but we have gotten it done. Today, after more than a year of hard work, the Senate is making history. prgtoken I am confident the Inflation Reduction Act will endure as one of the defining legislative feats of the 21st century. prgtoken Our bill reduces inflation, lowers costs, creates millions of good- paying jobs, and is the boldest climate package in U.S. history. prgtoken This bill will kick start the era of affordable clean energy in America. It is a game changer. It is a turning point, and it has been a long time in coming. prgtoken To Americans who have lost faith that Congress can do big things, this bill is for you. To seniors who face the indignity of rationing medications or skipping them altogether, this bill is for you. And to the tens of millions of young Americans who have spent years marching, rallying, demanding that Congress act on climate change, this bill is for you. prgtoken The time has come to pass this historic bill.
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-8-6

I rise tonight to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act. I am limited on time. I will try to keep within my 5 minutes. prgtoken I wanted to start by just kind of providing a brief summary. This is legislation that will do a number of things, all of which are helpful to American families and the American economy. prgtoken First of all, it will lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors. It will, in fact, lower the cost of energy, the prices people pay for energy. prgtoken On the prescription drug front, we talk about lowering costs and empowering Medicare, for the first time, to begin to negotiate for lower prices. It also caps the out-of-pocket costs that Medicare beneficiaries pay at $2,000. In Pennsylvania, the estimate is that there are more than 73,000 Pennsylvanians that pay more than $2,000 a year for prescription drugs. Every one of those 73,000-plus Pennsylvanians and more will benefit from capping out-of-pocket costs. prgtoken It lowers costs for families, but it also reduces the threat of climate change and reduces the deficit at the same time--all of that while reducing emissions between now and 2030 by some 40 percent. And this may be the very last time--the very last time--that we have an opportunity to take action in a substantial way against the threat of climate change. The Presiding Officer has worked on this issue for years. He knows of what I speak better than anyone. This may be the last chance to take action on climate change. prgtoken Thirdly, and not by way of a complete summary, it extends the Affordable Care Act subsidies--the subsidies that were provided in the American Rescue Plan, the enhanced subsidies and premium tax credits. Those subsidies will be extended to 2025. prgtoken Again, I will personalize it to Pennsylvania. This directly affects at least 100,000 people. Sixty thousand people in our State will lose all of their insurance coverage if we don't pass this bill; another 40,000 will have their subsidies taken away; and several hundred thousand will have their premiums go up. It affects 100,000 people directly and several hundred thousand people directly or indirectly. prgtoken Then, of course, this bill creates millions and millions of jobs over the 10 years that the bill has been measured. prgtoken After we pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which will reduce inflation--that is what we are told by some 126 economists. Larry Summers and others have said the same thing. It will fight inflation in the ways that have already been spoken about. But after we pass this bill, this strong bill for the American economy and for American families, we have more work to do. We have to continue our work to pass legislation to invest in home- and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities. We have to invest in childcare and institute again what we did in the American Rescue Plan when we put dollars in the pockets of American families raising childr
PRAYER
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-8-6

the end is near--I hope. For those of us on this side of the aisle who have worked long and hard, this is the last substantive action we have to take before final passage of a historic piece of legislation. prgtoken Recognizing--and I want to thank the Senators on both sides of the aisle for the productive discussions in the last vote on a difficult issue that my amendment would address. prgtoken My amendment would simply strike the offset in the previous amendment known as the State and local tax deduction and replace it with a 2-year extension of a so-called loss limitation policy that has bipartisan support over many years. prgtoken This was first employed under President , then employed by the . Everyone on this side of the aisle has voted for this pay- for, $52 billion, which more than offsets the $35 billion that were taken from the previous amendment. prgtoken This amendment will allow us to move forward on this historic legislation, on drug prices, climate change, prgtoken reform the tax code, and bring down inflation and make sure we have got a true comprehensive energy policy. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to support the amendment.
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-8-6

I go back home to Washington State every week, and I talk to young people in Seattle who are urgently calling for bold climate action. I talk to families in Yakima County who are deeply concerned by a wildfire season that gets worse every year and parents in Vancouver who are trying to figure out how they can afford their kids' medication and make ends meet. prgtoken This summer has broken records in Washington State and not in a good way. Energy prices and temperatures have both spiked. People from Seattle to Spokane are feeling the stress, and they are feeling the heat. Climate disasters have become an everyday reality in every community across the country. Washington State has seen droughts and wildfires and floods and heat waves that literally made our roads buckle. prgtoken Families desperately need us to tackle rising costs and rising temperatures because we cannot build a stronger economy if we do not build a more sustainable economy, and that is why we need the Inflation Reduction Act. It will reduce costs for families, it will reduce emissions, and it will even reduce the debt and deficit. prgtoken The climate investments in this bill are, in a word, historic. They won't just bring down carbon emissions by a whopping 40 percent; they will help us establish real energy independence from dirty fossil fuels and foreign adversaries. They will save lives by reducing air pollution and supporting conservation efforts happening in rural Washington State right now to prevent wildfires and protect families and address the climate crisis. prgtoken This legislation will make historic, first-of-its-kind, economy-wide investment in clean energy that will create millions of good-paying clean energy jobs, including in Washington State, and it will bring down families' energy costs for people who are struggling to keep the AC on in the summer or the heat on in the winter or lights on year- round. It will help weatherize homes and install energy-efficient appliances and heat pumps and rooftop solar panels and more. prgtoken This bill will offer huge cost savings for clean or electric vehicles, new or prgtoken used, and give companies a good reason to build more of these cars in America. prgtoken We aren't just cutting energy costs, though. No one should have to worry about whether they can afford the healthcare they need, but I have heard from countless patients who worked their whole life, who saved their money, but still had to work an extra job or move in with their family or even ration their prescription just to make ends meet. prgtoken Lifesaving medicine doesn't do any good if people can't afford it. That is why this bill will finally give Medicare power to negotiate. We are going to force drug companies to the bargaining table, and patients everywhere are going to benefit. It will also cap seniors' annual drug costs and cap insulin at $35 a month and protect patients from companies that are jackin
TRIBUTE TO NORMAN LEAR
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2022-8-6

a remarkable American marked his 100th birthday last month. Marcelle and I were delighted to be able to wish Norman Lear our best on this milestone. prgtoken His achievements throughout his impactful life have broken important new ground at just about every turn. We all know Norman's credits in television, such as ``All in the Family,'' ``The Jeffersons,'' and ``Maude.'' They helped shape 20th century American culture. prgtoken Norman's influence on America did not start in television. He was an U.S. Army Air Force pilot in World War II, flying more than 50 combat missions over Italy and Germany, and his heroism garnered the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. prgtoken Norman's patriotism and public service continued throughout his television career. He addressed pressing social issues in ways others were not willing to do, touching hearts, and changing lives. The core of his message was always to bring people together on common ground, an idea which is so desperately needed today in all facets of our culture and media. prgtoken He founded People For The American Way, to champion American ideals that often were under fire or diminished by apathy. prgtoken Norman Lear has always understood that more things unite us than divide us as Americans, and to quote him, ``we are all in this life together.'' prgtoken I was moved by his reflections, published in the New York Times on July 27, 2022, his 100th birthday, and ask unanimous consent to have them printed in the Record.
HONORING THE DEDICATION OF THE BALL FAMILY
Raphael G. Warnock (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2022-8-6

I rise on behalf of nearly 4\1/2\ million Americans in 12 States, including 646,000 Georgians who, a decade after the Affordable Care Act became law, still do not have access to affordable healthcare. They are the working poor. They are being blocked by Governors and legislatures. prgtoken But, sadly, today they are being betrayed by this body. The bill we are about to pass will rightly strengthen healthcare access for millions of Americans, but how do we justify doing that while leaving the hard-working families in Georgia who gave us this power in the first place and the other 11 nonexpansion States in the cold? My amendment would simply extend the same subsidies to them. prgtoken If in this bill we can extend tax relief to hedge fund managers, then, surely, we can extend tax credits as a lifeline to the working poor. prgtoken This is a moral moment. The scripture says: Woe to those who crush the poor. prgtoken I am asking my ic colleagues to do the right thing and close this gap.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2022-8-6

I rise briefly to speak to a unanimous consent request that I am going to make in just a moment. I am pleased that we are about to consider the nomination of Dr. Monde Muyangwa, to be Assistant Administrator for Africa for USAID. prgtoken This is a critical post, one we cannot afford to leave vacant at a time when the humanitarian needs, the development opportunities, the strategic challenges that we see in Africa need to be met by an outstanding development professional. prgtoken As the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine continues to cause skyrocketing fertilizer costs, widespread food crises, the people of Africa need to know that the people of the United States will support them, will work with them, and will be a great partner in their development. prgtoken I am about to ask unanimous consent for the confirmation of a nominee who has a long and deep experience in this area. The director of the Wilson Center Africa Program, long-time dean of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, a professor, a nonprofit leader, a development professional, a Rhodes Scholar--someone who will represent us very well. prgtoken , with that, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the follow nomination: Calendar No. 815, Monde Muyangwa, to be an Assistant Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate resume legislative session.
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2022-8-6

I rise to enter into a colloquy with the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Wyden, to discuss sections 13701 and 13702 of the Inflation Reduction Act. These sections establish new sections 45Y and 48D of the Tax Code that provide new tax credits for, respectively, production from and investment in clean electricity resources that are placed in service after December 31, 2024.
PRAYER
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-8-6

as Mr. Schumer said, I rise today to honor the life and mourn the passing of Vincent ``Vin'' Scully, who will be remembered as the greatest broadcaster in sports history, and a true ambassador for Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the game of baseball. prgtoken Born in 1927 in the Bronx, he grew up near the Polo Grounds and actually became a big fan of the New York Giants baseball team as a child--and I never held that against him. prgtoken He served our Nation as a member of the U.S. Navy for 2 years before attending Fordham University. And at Fordham--listen to this--at Fordham, he managed to play on the baseball team, work on the school paper, and broadcast many of the university's football, baseball, and basketball teams. prgtoken His career as a broadcaster took off soon after he graduated from college. By 1950, he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast team. And in 1954, he became the team's principal announcer--a position he would hold until his retirement in 2016. He was the longest tenured announcer for any team in any professional sport. prgtoken In 1953, at only age 25, Vin became the youngest person to ever broadcast a World Series--a record that remains to this day. prgtoken When the Dodgers moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1958, Vin moved with the team, and he quickly became the voice of baseball in Southern California. prgtoken Vin was the voice of the Dodgers for 67 years, but his unparalleled storytelling and love of sports allowed him to transcend baseball. Many fans will recall Vin's unique calls on some of the most memorable football games and golf tournaments of the 20th century. prgtoken He was also a presence in pop culture, appearing in dozens of movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Vin lent his talents to everything ranging from the sketch comedy series ``Laugh-In'' to the iconic science fiction show ``The X-Files,'' to the classic baseball movie--and one of my favorites--``For the Love of the Game''; and he relished serving as grand marshal of the 125th Rose Parade ahead of the 2014 Rose Bowl. prgtoken In 2016, President awarded Vin Scully the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing Vin as one of the signature sounds of America's pastime. Ever humble, when Vin was informed that he would be receiving the honor, he asked: ``Are you sure?'' prgtoken From Opening Day to the World Series, and every inning in between, Vin made every game memorable with his love of baseball, and for generations of fans--generations--hearing Vin Scully's soothing voice meant it was time for Dodgers baseball. prgtoken Now, I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. As a child, growing up in the 1980s, I spent many evenings dreaming of growing up to play professional baseball while listening to Vin's voice narrate the action. prgtoken While he became a legend for his talents behind the microphone, he will actually be remembered best for his decency beyond the broadcast booth. I remember a few years
PRAYER
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-8-6

this motion to commit is a red herring and a complete distraction. prgtoken The Department of Agriculture already has strict rules that all producers must meet before they can participate in USDA conservation programs. prgtoken These dollars go to farmers who are American citizens or legal permanent residents for conservation practices that help protect and improve American soil and water. Farmers are only reimbursed after the practices are in place. prgtoken This would add burdensome paperwork, unnecessary bureaucracy that would really bog our farmers down. This is different than circumstances that were just talked about with state-owned Chinese companies. This is not the same thing. This amendment goes right at our farmers and the conservation practices they are asking us to support for them. prgtoken Again, the only reason for this amendment is to stop us from passing this bill, which, among other things, will cut prescription drug costs, create jobs, and tackle the climate crisis. prgtoken I urge a ``no'' vote.
HONORING THE DEDICATION OF THE BALL FAMILY
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-8-6

I would like to engage my friend the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Wyden, in a colloquy. prgtoken One of the many vital investments made in the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce energy costs and confront the climate crisis is the qualified commercial clean vehicle credit. This provides a tax credit of up to $40,000 for qualified heavy commercial electric vehicles, or up to $7,500 for qualified commercial electric vehicles weighing less than 14,000 pounds, which includes both trucks and mobile machinery. prgtoken Mobile machinery is a vehicle that is unrelated to transportation, such as a forklift or bulldozer. The qualified commercial clean vehicle credit utilizes an existing statutory definition of mobile machinery, the purpose of which is to provide for an exemption from the excise tax on heavy trucks that is deposited into the highway trust fund. prgtoken The new application of the mobile machinery definition will raise novel questions about which types of vehicles qualify as mobile machinery, in cases where the determination was not necessary in the context of the excise tax on heavy trucks. One such case is commercial lawn mowers, most of which currently have gas-powered engines that are a significant source of pollution. prgtoken I ask the chairman of the Finance Committee whether commercial lawn mowers can fit the criteria of mobile machinery and, therefore, qualify for the qualified commercial clean vehicle credit, provided that the vehicle meets the other criteria for the credit.