mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CORONAVIRUS
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-8-6

here we are--another Thursday afternoon in the Senate. It is pretty quiet around here. It is amazing how quickly this place gets quiet when the Senate majority leader, the leader, Senator McConnell, tells people: We don't have any more work to do today. By the way, we don't have any more work to do tomorrow, Friday. By the way, don't worry about Saturday or Sunday. Monday, you know, I will be here, says the Majority leader, but the Senate doesn't need to be here doing its work--maybe not Tuesday or Wednesday either. prgtoken I want to thank the Senator from Michigan, Ms. Stabenow, for being down here, standing up for working men and women and families and small businesses because, for them, it is not business as usual. It is not business as usual for all the folks who are out of work. prgtoken Thirty million Americans are on unemployment insurance, but here in the Senate, for the Senate majority leader, it is business as usual. Take a day off. Take the weekend off. Be on standby next week. Maybe we will start doing something real. prgtoken I can tell you the coronavirus is not on standby. The coronavirus is not taking a day off or 2 days off. It is continuing to spread in many parts of the country. We don't have enough testing equipment. We are not able to test people quickly. It takes people days and days and days and, in some cases, weeks to get their results. prgtoken We hear the President of the United States saying he wants to open up the economy and open up schools. We all want to open up the economy. We all want our children back in school, for classrooms are the best place for learning. But do you know what? You can't just wish for that to happen, just like you can't wish for the coronavirus to go away, and that makes it go away. You need to do real work. You need the testing equipment so that we can test people in realtime and make sure that we prevent further outbreaks. We don't want bonfires to turn into brush fires to turn into prairie fires. You need to catch the virus and contain it. You can't do that if you don't have testing equipment. prgtoken So the virus is not taking a day off or 2 or 3 or a week, and we shouldn't either. This Senate needs to do its job. We are in the middle of a pandemic. This is not a normal August. This should not be business as usual, and as Senator Stabenow said, we should not be here, at this moment, with important protections having already expired. This Senate sat by and did nothing while the protections against evictions expired. The eviction moratorium that was protecting millions of Americans-- gone. The extra $600 a week in unemployment--gone. Yet here we are with the majority leader saying: Take Friday off. Take Saturday off. Business as usual. prgtoken Well, that is a difficult thing to tell families and workers and small businesses around the country, and it cannot be business as usual. prgtoken The House of Representatives passed the
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2020-8-6

I rise today to continue to lift up the voices of millions of Americans who are demanding policing reform as a necessary prgtoken step on the path towards racial justice in this country. The challenges in defeating systemic racism can seem insurmountable, but there are clear next steps. prgtoken We need to start by transforming our policing system to root out the systemic racism and the culture of violence that is killing Black and Brown and indigenous people and people of color. prgtoken I want to talk today about four areas of this work that need our urgent attention. prgtoken First, we need to bring justice, accountability, and change to police departments by passing the Justice in Policing Act. prgtoken Second, we need to invest in new models of public safety by supporting community-led reform and innovation. I am asking the Senate to take up and pass my new bill to do just that. prgtoken Third, we need to end the criminalization of poverty, which happens when other social systems fail. prgtoken Finally, we need to root out racism in our systems of education, healthcare, housing, and economic opportunity so that everyone in this country can have the freedom and the opportunity to build the lives they choose. prgtoken In order to bring justice, accountability, and change to policing departments around the country, we need to start by passing the Justice in Policing Act. Led by Senator Booker and Senator , this bill is a comprehensive set of needed Federal-level reforms to a system that is designed to shield police officers from accountability and consequences and denies justice to victims of police violence. prgtoken These reforms--like ending qualified immunity, establishing a national use-of-force standard, creating a registry of police misconduct, and banning dangerous practices like choke holds and no- knock warrants--are long overdue. prgtoken Indeed, communities and activists have pushed for many of the reforms in this bill for decades. A few weeks ago, I spoke on this floor about the urgent need to pass this bill. Unfortunately, this critical legislation is still sitting on Leader McConnell's desk. But I promise that I will keep fighting until the Justice in Policing Act is signed into law. prgtoken Policing needs other changes, too, like banning so-called warrior training, which encourages law enforcement officials to see the public as hostile enemies. We need to empower the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to independently investigate police departments that systematically violate the constitutional rights of our communities prgtoken We need to reform Federal sentencing to repeal 1994 crime bill provisions, like mandatory minimums and draconian sentencing enhancements, and we need to prohibit police union contracts that create unfair barriers to effective investigations, civilian oversight, and holding police departments accountable to the communities they are sworn t
HEALS Act (Executive Session)
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-8-6

reserving my right to object, this family has suffered a terrible loss and has my sincerest condolences. prgtoken Too many families in my home State of New Mexico have lost loved ones to DUIs, and I have made reducing DUIs one of my top priorities. As State attorney general, I worked to increase penalties and get them off the roads. prgtoken In the Senate, I am working on a bipartisan basis to use technology to get us to the place at which we can eliminate drunk driving and save thousands of lives per year. The Presiding Officer also knows that we are working very well, in a bipartisan way, to tackle this issue. prgtoken I have concerns that this bill uses a tragedy to paint immigrants as more dangerous than other people, which is false by all available data. The immigration detention system is also in need of comprehensive reform, and this bill does nothing to improve our immigration system. Instead, the bill imposes judicially unreviewable detention on immigrants simply charged with certain crimes, not convicted. This is not consistent with due process. prgtoken Importantly, this bill has not been subject to committee review. My understanding is that senior members of the Committee on the Judiciary have strong concerns about this bill. prgtoken I also believe that we should not be legislating on immigration matters unless and until this body takes action to permanently protect Dreamers and provide them with a path toward citizenship. prgtoken I object. prgtoken .
TRIBUTE TO NEAL ELLIOTT
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-8-6

I rise today to salute Neal Elliott for his many years of dedicated service and forward-looking leadership at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, ACEEE. Neal will soon retire from his role as senior director for research, the capstone to a distinguished career at ACEEE that began in 1993. An internationally recognized expert on energy efficiency, he has helped slash energy waste in the United States. Neal leaves a legacy worthy of our praise and gratitude. prgtoken ACEEE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that researches and advances energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies and behaviors as a way to strengthen the economy, reduce pollution, protect public health, and address climate change. Since its establishment in 1980, ACEEE has helped to mold U.S. policies that have cut domestic energy use in half relative to the size of the U.S. economy and delivered more than $2,000 in annual savings per individual. prgtoken Neal has been instrumental in that success. He has helped to grow not only ACEEE as an organization, which has more than tripled in size since his arrival, but also the field of energy efficiency. He oversees ACEEE's overall research, which includes dozens of reports, fact sheets, and topic briefs each year. He has spearheaded its work on industrial, agricultural, and rural issues, including on such topics as combined heat and power--CHP--electric motor systems, smart energy management, and industrial decarbonization. Neal helped coin the term ``intelligent efficiency'' to reflect the growing need to incorporate the Internet of Things, connected systems, and big data into energy- saving efforts. He was also a key player in the design of the rural energy programs in the 2002 farm bill that expanded into the Rural Energy for America Program in the 2008 farm bill. An expert on energy efficiency policies and programs, he has pushed to overcome market barriers to integrating CHP and distributed energy resources into a cleaner, intelligent power grid. He holds six patents in thermal storage and produce processing, has written dozens of articles and reports, and is a frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences. prgtoken Just as important, Neal has played a vital, avuncular role in expanding the energy efficiency community. He is adept at bringing people together and forging effective partnerships. With a doctorate degree in engineering from Duke University, where he previously taught, he has mentored and encouraged countless young professionals. He is passionate about energy efficiency, which he sees as a critical tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating climate change, and securing a more hopeful tomorrow for future generations. prgtoken Neal has been a stalwart friend to me and my staff. I am thankful for his leadership and ACEEE's support for my proposals over the years. On behalf of the people of New Hampshire, I ask my c
CORONAVIRUS
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-8-6

I want to thank both of my friends from Oregon. We are Oregon strong on the floor. We have great, powerful, effective Senators from Oregon, and I want to thank Senator Merkley for his words, as well as my colleagues and friends from Delaware and New Hampshire and Maryland. prgtoken We are on the floor today because we know this isn't just another regular Thursday where you can close up for the week and go home and do whatever is going to be done and then maybe come back Monday, maybe Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. We don't know because we don't know what is happening on negotiations. But, oh, well, there is no real sense of urgency anyway, right? prgtoken There is an incredible sense of urgency, and, as we have been saying this afternoon, this should not be treated like just another end of the Senate week on a Thursday afternoon. We have the largest health pandemic in a hundred years. As of today, it is about 160,000 deaths in this country. You can't even wrap your head around that: 160,000 people. Yet we are a little over 4 percent of the world's population. We have 25 percent of the deaths. prgtoken This did not have to happen. This should never have happened. It should never have happened. And to be in a situation where people are acting as if we have got all the time in the world--how many people have to die before we wrap our arms around what is happening and have a national strategy on testing and on contact tracing and a national strategy to make sure we have all of the testing materials and the PPE and everything that our doctors and nurses and other professionals need and we are treating this with the seriousness that it deserves? prgtoken This is a health pandemic. We have to get our arms around this. We have to be able to manage it until we can get vaccines. We did come together and work together on a bipartisan basis in the beginning. That is what is just so frustrating and disheartening and maddening about this situation we are in now, as we go forward, because it is not done. prgtoken I wish it was, for my own family and everyone else's. It is not even close to being done, and we have a responsibility to continue to be there and to have people's backs to address the pandemic and all of the economic hardship that has happened as a result of that. prgtoken Now, in the CARES package, it was comprehensive. It was great that we were able to come together. One of the things was that the Treasury, the Fed, was able to basically have the capacity to have a safety net under the stock market, under our large businesses: Don't worry. Keep investing. We have got a safety net for you. prgtoken But for somebody on unemployment, somebody who is worrying about feeding their children tonight, tomorrow, the next day--somebody who is worried that the water is going to get shut off or they are going to lose their shelter right in the middle of a pandemic when we tell people, ``stay home and, by the way, wash
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 494
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-8-6

reserving the right to object, I ask unanimous consent that the request be modified so that in addition to the request of the Senator from Alaska, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 317, S. 908, the Fluke Fairness Act. prgtoken I request that the bill be read a third time and passed and that motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
HEALS Act (Executive Session)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-8-6

every day we can see that this public health crisis is also an economic crisis. During the shutdowns, some employers shuttered completely, and others were forced to lay off workers. Tens of millions of jobs were saved thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program and other CARES Act provisions, but millions of other Americans lost their jobs and remain unemployed. prgtoken While job numbers have improved since the more dire days of March and April, there are still many Americans facing unemployment. Talks are continuing to determine how best to modify and extend a Federal supplement to State unemployment insurance programs, but those talks are going miserably slowly. prgtoken These State programs and the extra Federal aid have been important safety nets for folks who have lost their income, but they are only a piece of what we can and should do and what a bill before the U.S. Senate lays out. It is called the HEALS Act, put forth by our leader. prgtoken As the leader said yesterday, we know that these programs shouldn't pay someone more to stay home than essential workers are making by working hard. We also know that most people would prefer to have a reliable job and avoid layoff entirely. That is why s, as part of the HEALS Act, have put forward several additional proposals to help already unemployed Americans and prevent others prgtoken from getting laid off in the first place. That is why these talks ought to speed up, so we can get some of these other things in place as well as the unemployment issues that we are talking about. prgtoken We extend and significantly expand the employee retention tax credit that was included in the CARES Act so that employers can keep more people on the payroll instead of laying them off. It supports businesses that hire more workers as the economy continues to improve. prgtoken We expand the work opportunity tax credit to support employers who are helping those currently receiving unemployment insurance find a new, safe, and steady job. Bringing in new employees and expanding the workforce can be complicated, especially in times of a pandemic. Both employers and employees want to maintain safe working environments. It is important for employers to have the resources to keep their workplaces clean and their employees protected. s then proposed a new tax credit for these expenses, like additional cleaning expenses, personal protective gear, and even office reconfigurations that keep employees and customers safe. prgtoken The HEALS Act also provides for another round of economic impact payments. An average family of four would receive $3,400 to help cover expenses. These payments will help any family or any individual who has had to deal with layoffs and are in addition to any unemployment benefits they may receive. prgtoken These tax provisions serve as a complement to the unemployment insurance program that is being negotiated right now, with no
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-8-6

I think we are all a little frustrated right now because the negotiations on the next COVID-19 package seem to be at a standstill. If you talk to the negotiators and you even read the press accounts, which are pretty open, what they say is that they are deadlocked. One of the main reasons they are deadlocked is over this issue of unemployment insurance. prgtoken Now, recall, back in the CARES Act, there was an extension of a Federal supplement to unemployment insurance. So we put in place a $600 Federal benefit on top of the State benefits. prgtoken At the time, there were concerns about whether that would lead to people on unemployment insurance getting more money than they would at work, and there was actually an amendment here on the Senate floor regarding that. Although it did not pass, I think pretty much every supported it with that concern. prgtoken In fact, that is what has happened. If you look at what has happened over the past couple of months, as the $600 has been put in place, it clearly has often led to people making more on unemployment insurance than they can make at work. prgtoken In fact, the Congressional Budget Office, which is a nonpartisan group here in the U.S. Congress that analyzes some of these economic issues, has said that if someone is on unemployment insurance today, they are likely to be making substantially more than someone who is not on unemployment insurance. In other words, people are making more not to work than to work. prgtoken CBO says: ``Roughly five of every six recipients would receive benefits that exceeded the weekly amounts they could expect to earn from work during those months'' if you were to extend this until the end of the year. prgtoken In other words, they are saying that 80 percent of UI recipients would make more on unemployment insurance than they would have at their old jobs--meaning that if you followed where the ic negotiators are in keeping $600 in place until the end of the year, there would be an unprecedented disincentive to go to work in this country. prgtoken I think that is widely acknowledged. The University of Chicago has a study that isn't quite 80 percent; it says 68 percent, though. I don't think anybody disputes the fact that most people on unemployment insurance are making more than they would if they were at work. prgtoken When I talk to my ic colleagues about that, they are hearing the same thing I am hearing from small business owners--by the way, from nonprofits, from employers of all sizes and all stripes--saying that it is tough to get people to come back to work when they can make more on unemployment insurance by not working. prgtoken I think a lot of my ic colleagues agree. It is good to get people back to work--get back to work safely, yes, and we ought to be sure that the employers are following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and others. But it is good to get peopl
30TH ANNIVERSARY OF PASSAGE OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-8-6

I rise today in recognition of a significant anniversary in our Nation's history. Thirty years ago, on July 26, 1990, President George H.W. signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA. Because of the monumental impact on individuals with disabilities, the ADA remains one of the most celebrated pieces of civil rights legislation today. prgtoken Behind the ADA is a specific vision: a more equitable, accessible and inclusive America. This watershed legislation sought to eradicate the discrimination that long confronted individuals with disabilities in the United States in many areas--including employment, education, transportation, and government services. The ADA established a clear and comprehensive national mandate to ensure individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities to participate in their communities. prgtoken We can be proud of organizations in Arkansas dedicated to providing services and life-enhancing skills so individuals with disabilities can engage in everyday activities and independent living. prgtoken To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the ADA, the Senate recently passed S. Res. 661 recognizing this landmark legislation and the importance of independent living for individuals with disabilities that was made possible with this law. prgtoken In celebration of this milestone, I am proud to recognize the advancement of disability rights in Arkansas and nationwide.
NO TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT DEVICES ACT
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-8-6

. Again, I thank Senator Scott for his work on this effort, his leadership on this effort, and his leadership across the board when it comes to standing up to Communist China--the Chinese Communist Party. prgtoken I also want to thank my friends Senator Cotton, Senator Ernst, Senator Kennedy, Senator McSally, and all other Senators who have backed this legislation, along with Congressman Ken Buck, who has led this effort in the House. prgtoken Just 2 weeks ago, this legislation passed unanimously out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. I also want to thank my colleagues there, especially Chairman Johnson, who has been a champion on this effort and has worked hard in the last couple of weeks to make sure we can bring this bill to the floor. prgtoken I am encouraged by the bipartisan support we have seen in this body to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable, and that includes, by the way, holding accountable those corporations that would just do China's bidding. If I have anything to say about it, we will not be stopping here. prgtoken , as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 507, S. 3455.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 494
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-8-6

I have been in the Senate now for 5\1/2\ years, and I don't consider somebody a better friend, an advocate for his State than Senator Sullivan. I have actually spent a lot of time-- even though Senator Gillibrand and I have differences in certain situations, we find ways to work together. prgtoken What I have before me, though, is something that is very important for people to understand. I agree with everything Senator Sullivan said. His measure, I suspect, has broad support, probably support on its own. But what we have here is the addition by the motion of Senator Gillibrand that affects my State, North Carolina. It has to do with reallocation of quotas. It would particularly affect the flounder industry in North Carolina. prgtoken I hope that we are able to work out our differences. I hope that we can get Senator Sullivan's bill passed. But because it has been amended to include something that hurts my fisheries in North Carolina and my commercial fishermen at the worst possible time, when they are suffering like everybody else from the COVID-19 crisis and all the challenges that that produces, I do object.