mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF H. RES. 935, ESTABLISHING A SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Jim Jordan (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , eight different oversight processes are in place as we speak: prgtoken We have got the Oversight Committee itself, which has the broadest jurisdiction of any committee in Congress to do oversight. prgtoken We have the committees of jurisdiction, which each have a subcommittee that does oversight: Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Small Business, and, of course, Financial Services. prgtoken We have the CARES Act itself, which created the Oversight Commission in the bill itself. prgtoken We have the CARES Act, which also created the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee in the bill itself. That is the fourth one. prgtoken The fifth one, we have the IGs, the inspectors general from each of the respective agencies: Health and Human Services, Treasury. prgtoken Sixth, we have a special inspector general created in the CARES Act. prgtoken Seventh, we have $20 million in funding appropriated in the CARES Act, which created a process for auditors and experts at GAO to do further oversight. prgtoken And finally, eighth, we have the FTC and DOJ, the agencies doing oversight and holding people accountable for the fraud that may be committed. prgtoken Eight different entities doing oversight, but the want a ninth. Why? Eight different committees doing the work making sure that the hard-earned tax dollars of the American people have the proper oversight. But we need a ninth for what reason? The ninth is political. Eight committees looking out for the taxpayer, the ninth looking out for ; the ninth to go after President . prgtoken This is just a continuation of the attack that the have had on the President for the past 4 years. It started before he was President when they opened the Russia investigation, spied on two American citizens associated with the campaign. It continued with the Mueller investigation. And then, of course, we had the ridiculous impeachment process based on a phone call between the President of Ukraine and President . prgtoken And now this. Now this, a select committee in the summer of an election year to attack the President when we already have eight different entities doing the oversight we are all supposed to do to look out for the taxpayer interests. prgtoken The want a ninth because the ninth is political, and the ninth will be chaired by our colleague, the biggest supporter of the ' nominee for President. prgtoken Madam , I urge a ``no'' vote.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , from Texas for yielding. prgtoken Most importantly, I want to thank all of those hardworking families across this country, people who are struggling through this crisis, who are adhering to the guidance from the President and their Governors. But they want us to get back to work. They want us to work together to help them through this critical time, to focus on finding a cure as we are seeing so many advances in medicine, on testing, and on therapies that may work. prgtoken In the meantime, we are all learning how to deal with this disease better, how to socially distance. Even if you go to the grocery store now, people are being more cautious. prgtoken We also need to make sure that we help those families hold on through this time, that we help those small businesses that are struggling through this time. The Paycheck Protection Program has been incredibly successful as a lifeline to those small businesses. prgtoken President called on us weeks ago to come and replenish this fund that has been used by so many businesses to hang on, and yet there were cries from the other side. In fact, one of the leaders of the main caucus on the opposition side called the Paycheck Protection Program leverage, that they should hold out from re-funding to get other things. prgtoken This isn't about leveraging families who are struggling and hanging on and businesses that barely can make it while you try to go for other items. Help those people who are in need. Negotiate on other things that we can get agreement on, but don't hold hostages during this time. prgtoken I reached out to so many small businesses and heard from people in my district and all around this country. We saw another 4.4 million people lose their jobs just this week, and yet there were businesses holding on, waiting for this money that didn't get it for the last 2 weeks while this leverage game was played. prgtoken I just talked to one company, Delta Electronics in Harvey, Louisiana: ``We laid off two of our three employees. . . . We are about 7 days away from shutting our doors down for good and possibly declaring bankruptcy.''
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
John Joyce (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , all of us want our small businesses to survive this economic crisis. All of us want to save American livelihoods. All of us want to get Americans back to work. prgtoken For weeks, I have talked to workers, small business owners, farmers in Pennsylvania who are counting on the Paycheck Protection Act. prgtoken Today, we are offering these Pennsylvanians an opportunity to keep their workers paid and emerge stronger on the other side of this unprecedented challenge by protecting our workforce and safeguarding our economy. prgtoken Truly these are difficult days, but we know there is light ahead. prgtoken The people of Pennsylvania are resilient. The people of our great Nation are resilient. Together, we will weather the storm. prgtoken We cannot allow a virus to destroy the American Dream.
PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF H. RES. 935, ESTABLISHING A SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican, WA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate his leadership. prgtoken I rise in opposition to this select committee. Energy and Commerce has a long tradition of bipartisan oversight in its broad jurisdiction and has the tools to prevent any fraud, waste, or abuse. prgtoken In the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, we are working right now, s and , to make sure the FTC is protecting Americans from bad actors who are using the coronavirus to commit fraud. Our Oversight and Investigation team is working around the clock to stop bad actors and to track the spread of the virus itself, as well as the stockpiles of PPE, ventilators, and test kits sent to the States. prgtoken Our Health Subcommittee is working with HHS, FDA, CDC, and NIH to ensure resources reach hospitals and frontline healthcare workers who need it most. prgtoken The same can be said for the Small Business and Financial Services Committees' efforts to ensure that PPP loans are implemented effectively. prgtoken There is also the Ways and Means Committee oversight of the economic impact payments or any of a number of other committees involved in Congress' unprecedented bipartisan response to this crisis. prgtoken This select committee duplicates the existing jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee and others. It will erode the trust and effectiveness in our work that is underway during the greatest healthcare and economic crisis we have seen in our lifetime. prgtoken We shouldn't create a new committee that will divide us, make this response partisan, create more bureaucracy in Congress, and undermine the hard, bipartisan work of my colleagues and staff who are doing their jobs on their committees already. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to let our committees continue to do their jobs and reject this resolution.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken The current bill provides $12 billion to jurisdictions that specifically authorize and encourage the use of surveillance and contact tracing. The bill does not define these terms. prgtoken Does it allow big tech companies to surveil and trace American citizens and then turn that accumulated information over to the government? prgtoken How will this data be secured, stored, et cetera? prgtoken There are many questions that go unanswered. Not the least of these, however, is the question of how much longer the American people acquiesce to unconstitutional and crushing government action. prgtoken We need to open up America now. I call on our Governors to free their citizens immediately.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , the last time I stood in this Chamber was the first day that my district reported a COVID-19 fatality. At that time, on March 27, my district had just 27 confirmed cases. As of today, the 12th District has 50 deaths and 862 confirmed cases. prgtoken COVID-19 has rattled our communities across this country, and our top priority should be and should always be keeping people safe. prgtoken But the virus has also forced our economy to a grinding halt. Our small businesses are desperate for a lifeline. And for many, that lifeline is the PPP. prgtoken In Illinois, almost 70,000 loans were approved before funding ran out. But funding should have never been allowed to run out. We should have done our job. We should have come back, and politics should not have been played. prgtoken The COVID-19 virus is not ; it is not . This hurting economy is not ; it is not . But yet we held it up, and we will never know how many small businesses failed because politics was played rather than getting our job done.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Dan Crenshaw (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise today where we should have been a prgtoken week ago when the Treasury warned us that the small business program needed refunding. It is a program we already authorized. It is a program that Americans need desperately to keep their payrolls whole during this crisis. prgtoken But, in predictable fashion, it was delayed. My colleagues will claim victory for this delay, claiming ``wins'' for additional funding. But they know that this vote today could have easily been agreed to last week. prgtoken We are asking our grocers to stock our shelves, truckers to drive, and nurses and doctors to risk their lives, but Congress can't even bother to vote to help small businesses in time. In fact, many want to vote from home or by proxy. If you think that is leadership, then I would encourage you to rethink what it means to be a Representative. prgtoken Leadership is courage to lead from the front. It is steadfast judgment free from cynical opportunism. Leadership means acting worthy of the people we represent. If we are to survive this historic crisis, we might collectively stiffen our spines and demonstrate to the American people what that looks like.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Paul Mitchell (Republican, MI) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 266, which provides badly needed financial support for small businesses and hospitals. Our Nation continues to struggle with the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. prgtoken But I must also comment on the function of Congress. We passed the CARES Act almost 30 days ago. Since then, the lights have been off here. Today, we vote for one crucial item and depart again. prgtoken I will vote ``aye'' on the relief package, but I stress Congress must get back to work here in the Capitol. We all must resume our full duties and obligations to the Constitution and, most importantly, to the American people. We took an oath to preserve and protect both.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , this has not been an easy time for America's small businesses. As the ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, I hear daily from owners of restaurants and hair salons and small retailers and manufacturers and grocers and others, about the gut-wrenching choices that they have been forced to make recently. prgtoken Fortunately, the Paycheck Protection Program, created under the CARES Act, has already helped small businesses save millions of jobs and cover essential expenses. prgtoken One company, for example, New York Bagel, survived the Great Depression and World War II during its 99 years of operation. This Ferndale, Michigan, business was forced to close due to the coronavirus. But thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program, their employees are still getting paid. prgtoken After losing 70 percent of their business, Woodyard Bar-B-Que in Kansas City was only a week or two away from laying off workers or even closing permanently. Their paycheck protection loan will allow them to stay in business. prgtoken These examples are only a fraction of those who have been helped. Understandably, this program has been very popular. In fact, demand was so high that funding was exhausted within 2 weeks of the program being started up. Over a million-and-a-half loans have been processed, with nearly 60,000 in my home State of Ohio alone. prgtoken Madam , small businesses are resilient. Start-ups are pioneering new techniques for sanitizing masks and surfaces. Neighborhood grocers are bravely staying open to provide necessary supplies, yes, including toilet paper, for their communities. prgtoken Small manufacturers are retooling to make personal protective equipment for frontline workers. These small businesses and entrepreneurs make the America we all know and love. prgtoken Congress should have passed this legislation last week, but to those small businesses who already applied and are waiting to hear, or those who are yet to apply for this relief, finally, help is on the way.
PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF H. RES. 935, ESTABLISHING A SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Americans are suffering right now. Hospitals, families, and businesses are figuring out what their next step will be. prgtoken But, instead of helping American families, Pelosi wants to set up a new, costly, unnecessary select committee. This is an outrageous attempt to yet again use Congress to smear President in an election year, just like the impeachment charade a few months ago. prgtoken I am all about oversight. We already have an Oversight Committee that is tasked with carrying out these very duties, and it is a very good committee, a quality committee made up of outstanding members from both sides of the aisle. prgtoken This is yet another political game from Pelosi using tax dollars for political gain. Creating a new select committee is completely redundant. We must stop these games and, instead, focus on the real problems facing the American people. prgtoken Creating an entirely new select committee is an irresponsible waste of time and resources that could be used elsewhere. Let's refocus on getting this country back on track and moving forward for the American people.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , we are here today to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, and that is a good thing. prgtoken We should have been here last week when the program ran out of money, and we will be back in the same position next week if we don't fix the PPP. prgtoken There are over 700,000 applications currently in the queue, and if the Treasury Department does not establish guardrails to differentiate between well-capitalized brokerage firms and undercapitalized mom-and- pop shops, we will not be helping the people who need us the most right now. prgtoken We need to get these small businesses and nonprofits every single penny they need to survive, and we must hold China accountable for every single penny. prgtoken Madam , this is not the time to be attacking each other. We must get through this crisis together. We must have each other's back. Let's have each other's back. Let's think with our hearts and our heads, and let's march through this together.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Kenny Marchant (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , after consulting with physicians about traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was not able to make it to Washington for this vote, but I would have voted YES on the Senate Amendment to H.R. 266. Our local small businesses are facing unprecedented circumstances due to the COVID-19 crisis, with many struggling to keep all of their employees on payroll. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a solution passed unanimously by the House just a few weeks ago, providing loans that keep Americans employed across the country. It was no surprise that demand for these loans was high, but it was a surprise to see members of Congress hold up more funding for the PPP over partisan political demands. I am glad to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle finally bring up this vital bill for a vote today to provide the relief that so many businesses and workers need. Estimates already predict that this additional funding will keep over 103,000 workers on payroll. prgtoken Unfortunately, the 's push for the creation of a new select committee to conduct oversight of the response to COVID-19 is another attempt to use taxpayer dollars to fulfill partisan goals. There are already eight different mechanisms in place for the House to exercise oversight over the response to this virus, making this new one completely redundant. It is clear that this committee is intended to score political points against the President rather than improve our pandemic response. If that is the goal, it should be funded by their campaigns, not by American taxpayers. That is why I would have voted NO on the Resolution Establishing a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.
PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF H. RES. 935, ESTABLISHING A SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , of course, we are all observing the Attending Physician's request that we stay at least 6 feet apart. And I appreciate the ic 's acknowledgment that it is perhaps better to address the American people without a mask. prgtoken Mr. Cole, I also want to extend my sympathies to you. I know your district suffered greatly last night in the storm, and certainly our hearts are with our near neighbors in Oklahoma. prgtoken So our actions today represent a lost opportunity. I am grateful that we are going to finally pass legislation that will provide more funding for our small businesses and for our healthcare providers. prgtoken We should have been preparing for the needs of the American people since the first of this year. Instead, the House considered 15 pieces of non-crucial legislation and five resolutions that do not now, nor ever will, have the force of law. prgtoken Six months before this crisis started in January, President signed into law the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, the product of our health subcommittee, last Congress and this Congress. prgtoken But after this fire broke out across the globe, did we do any real- time oversight as to whether or not the bill that we had passed, the bill that we had labored over, was, in fact, performing as indicated? prgtoken The talked about real-time oversight. We had an opportunity, but we didn't take it. prgtoken The Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings on flavored tobacco, we looked into horse racing, we looked into ticket scalping. And these issues have a place in our legislative agenda, but not in the middle of a pandemic when we should have been doing real-time oversight of a bill we had signed into law a mere 6 months before. prgtoken So as the leader of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, I began calling for action in January. It was not until February 26, as an add-on to a budget hearing for Health and Human Services where there was a brief panel assembled, and only 10 Members were allowed to ask questions of this expert panel on the emerging novel coronavirus. prgtoken It was a full 2 weeks later before Congress considered its first comprehensive bill. During consideration in the Rules Committee, I requested, because one hadn't been done, a survey of ventilators. We didn't know how many we had available. prgtoken Now, thanks to vital steps taken by the administration, to this date, no patient has been denied a ventilator that needed one. This is a testament to the administration's response. It is a testament to the private sector in this country that responded so well. And it certainly puts to shame the ic majority's response during January and February. prgtoken We are in the middle of working to ensure patient survival and keeping our economy afloat. Now is not the time to authorize yet another partisan committee to conduct oversight in a manner that we know will only be good for the next new cy
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Jackie Walorski (Republican, IN) \u2014 2020-4-23

. Madam , I want to give a shout-out to the healthcare workers in Indiana's Second District while I am standing here supporting this legislation. What a phenomenal job and risk they have taken. prgtoken I am supporting this legislation today, but this delay was long, too long, completely avoidable. Two weeks ago, blocked attempts to replenish PPP and ensure small businesses could continue making payroll and rent. They said there was no data supporting more funding, even though the program ran out of money only a week later. prgtoken PPP has helped so many small businesses across my district save jobs. But others have been waiting for loans they urgently needed while played games with workers' livelihoods. prgtoken As one frustrated small business owner wrote to me: I saw the laughing it up on late night television, showing off her stash of high- end ice cream, while I and other small business owners don't know how we will make the next payroll. prgtoken I tell you what, ladies and gentlemen: Times are tough. Small business needs everything we can give them in a bipartisan way. I strongly urge support of this bill.