mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-2-25

now, the Senate is laser-focused on confirming President 's impressive Cabinet while paving the way for another round of urgent COVID relief. The two tasks will remain the top Senate priorities over the next several weeks. prgtoken By the end of this week, the Senate will have confirmed three Cabinet-level officials--the U.N. Ambassador and the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy--and will have set up confirmation votes early next week for the Secretaries of Education and Commerce and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. prgtoken This week, Senate committees also held confirmation hearings on scores of other nominations, including the President's candidates for Attorney General, HHS Secretary, Interior Secretary, CIA Director, Surgeon General, and U.S. Trade Representative prgtoken At the same time, are preparing to proceed with the urgently needed President American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion lifeline that will lay the foundation for economic recovery and a return to life as normal. prgtoken We have come a long way in our fight against COVID, but we still have a long way to go. Over 60 million vaccinations have now been administered across the country. Death rates are finally, finally declining. But while the trends are headed in the right direction, more Americans are still dying per day than at any point during the worst weeks of last summer. prgtoken The same goes for our economy. While there are green shoots, our country remains 10 million jobs short of where we were last February-- 10 million jobs short. That is nothing to trifle with or pass over. Today's report on new jobless claims was the 49th week that the number was higher than at any point during the great recession. prgtoken Let me repeat that. Today's report on the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time was the 49th week during the COVID pandemic that new unemployment claims were higher than at any point during the great recession. In the words of Fed Chairman Powell, hardly a big liberal, ``The economic recovery remains uneven and far from complete, and the path ahead is highly uncertain.'' prgtoken That is from a very serious, staid man not prone to any hyperbole at all. But what he is telling us is simple: We cannot take our foot off the gas. We cannot slow down before the race is won. We must proceed boldly and decisively. prgtoken Senate will move forward on the American Rescue Plan as soon as possible. The bill will erase any doubt that the American people, businesses, families, workers will have the resources that they need until we can defeat the virus and our economy comes roaring back. The American people should expect nothing less. prgtoken Just yesterday, over 150 executives from the Nation's business community said that taking action on the American Rescue Plan is the right thing to do. The business community is firmly lined up behind this plan.
EQUALITY ACT
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-2-25

I rise today in strong support of the Equality Act. prgtoken I am the proud mom of a trans kid. I will fight every single day for every trans person, every LGBTQ person, including my kid, to explore and express the fullness of their gender without fear or risk of being fired, denied housing, or refused service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. prgtoken , in 2020, over one in three LGBTQ Americans faced discrimination, including over three in five transgender Americans. In the midst of a pandemic, nearly 3 in 10 LGBTQ Americans faced difficulties accessing medical care, including over half of transgender Americans. prgtoken The Equality Act guarantees protection under the law, no matter who you love or your gender identity. It was President Abraham Lincoln who said those who deny freedom for others deserve it not for themselves. prgtoken So today, as we pass the Equality Act, we vote ``aye'' for Janak, for Evie, for so many thousands more of our kids.
INTRODUCTION OF THE ANDREW JACKSON STATUE REMOVAL ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2021-2-25

. Madam , today, I rise to introduce the Andrew Jackson Statue Removal Act, which would remove the Andrew Jackson statue from Lafayette Park, a federal park in the District of Columbia, and require the Secretary of the Interior to donate the statue to a museum or a similar entity. This bill is part of a series of statue and memorial removal bills I am introducing during Black History Month. prgtoken The land that comprises Lafayette Park has been used as a racetrack, a showplace for caged animals, a graveyard, a slave market, an encampment for soldiers and for political protests and celebrations. Jackson was a Tennessee slaveholder and signed a law that forced Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River. During this forced expulsion by the federal government, roughly 4,000 Cherokee died in what is now known as the Trail of Tears. prgtoken The statue, the first in Lafayette Park, was dedicated on January 8, 1853, on the 38th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, which the statue depicts. This prominent location in the nation's capital, right outside of the White House, should never have honored a man who was an unabashed racist, owned slaves and authorized the genocide of Native Americans. Jackson's entire tenure is a shameful part of our history and should not be honored with a statue in Lafayette Park. prgtoken This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to ensure the removal of the statue from Lafayette Park and to donate the statue and marble base to a museum or similar entity so that it can be accompanied by the appropriate historical context, not be prominently displayed in the nation's capital. The next generation can learn from this painful chapter in our history without celebrating it. prgtoken I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.
EQUALITY ACT
Angie Craig (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2021-2-25

I rise today to offer my support to the Equality Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that will grant equal protection under the law to our LGBTQ friends, family, neighbors, as well as to me and my family. prgtoken As the first openly lesbian wife and mother in Congress and the first LGBTQ Member of Congress from the great State of Minnesota, I know this legislation is the culmination of a lifetime of work for so many. prgtoken My wife, Cheryl, and I have built a beautiful life together raising four sons who we dearly love. We are fortunate to live in Minnesota, in a State where many of the Equality Act's protections have already been enshrined into law. prgtoken Right now, there are States across this country where it would be entirely legal for Cheryl and I to be discriminated against--based on our love and commitment to one another--in housing, employment, access to credit, or any other number of areas essential to just living our lives. prgtoken Now, some of my colleagues seem to believe this legislation somehow could harm our non-LGBTQ women and girls, but that couldn't be further from the truth. prgtoken The Equality Act does not undermine the achievements or aspirations of non-LGBTQ. In fact, by amending the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in a broad area of life, we are fighting to ensure that all women are treated equally in all aspects of their lives. prgtoken The Equality Act is critical because when LGBTQ people have equality under the law, we all benefit and all of our communities are stronger. prgtoken , as a teenage girl growing up in rural America, I never could have imagined I would finally see this legislation come to the House floor, much less as a Member of this body to see it passed. This legislation is necessary, it is long overdue, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Nomination of Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2021-2-25

first of all, I am delighted to speak today on the nomination of Jennifer Granholm to be Secretary of Energy. prgtoken I have known Jennifer since we were Governors together more than a decade ago. She served two terms as Governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2010. That was a particularly challenging time in her State's history, and I saw how she handled the difficult challenges facing her during the Great Recession and when the bottom dropped out of the auto industry in her State. prgtoken She was up to those challenges. She helped save the domestic auto industry. She diversified Michigan's economy. She brought in new investment and new industry, and she created new jobs, leaving no worker behind. prgtoken I know she will continue to apply the mindset at the national level. She has the leadership skills, the vision, and the compassion for people that we need at the helm of the Department of Energy to face the climate challenge and, at the same time, preserve our energy security, protect our national security, clean up the Cold War legacy, and preserve our scientific and technological prowess. prgtoken Moreover, she is someone you can talk to and work with. She listens, and she is an honest broker. She may not always agree with you, but she will listen to your concerns and will try to address them. prgtoken Finally, she is just simply a good person. That is a quality that I value and expect all of my colleagues would benefit from. prgtoken I believe she is extremely well qualified to lead the Department of Energy, and I urge--I truly urge--all of my colleagues to show in this bipartisan vote to confirm her nomination today. prgtoken I also yield back the remaining time of our presentation.
INTRODUCTION OF THE COVID-19 HOSPITAL AND HEALTH PROVIDER LOAN CONVERSION ACT
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-2-25

. Madam , I rise today to re-introduce the COVID-19 Hospital Loan Conversion Act to provide additional, vitally needed relief to hospitals and health care providers who are under water as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Our nation's hospitals have invested heavily to prepare for and care for us during the coronavirus pandemic. They canceled tens-of-thousands of elective surgeries and non-emergent patient tests at the government's request to help ensure adequate hospital capacity, preserve gear and equipment, and reduce the risk of unnecessary patient spread. This major shift has put some of America's hospitals on the brink of financial disaster. prgtoken While the $175 billion provider grant program, designed to provide support to all providers, is helpful, more support is needed. prgtoken This legislation will convert Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments loans to grants to ensure the additional financial support hospitals and other providers direly need. prgtoken Loan conversion would be for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are directly attributable to coronavirus. And, just like the requirement in the provider grant program, providers electing to have their advance payment loans converted would be obligated to abstain from balance or surprise billing any patient for COVID-related treatment. prgtoken The bill also outlines criteria for transparency and accountability of the loan conversion, including no executive compensation. prgtoken Hospitals across my district have shared that in the absence of more financial support, including this assistance, it is possible some hospitals will be forced to close or significantly scale back operations. prgtoken This would be a tragic consequence, especially if the country is hit with another round of the viral epidemic in the near future Representative Bob Gibbs, for his bipartisan work on this. We look to leadership and the Senate for further action on hospital loan conversion.
EQUALITY ACT
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-2-25

. Madam , 3 minutes. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5, the Equality Act, which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other core civil rights statutes to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill would also strengthen nondiscrimination protections for women and others. prgtoken In short, this long overdue legislation will provide millions of LGBTQ Americans explicit protections from being denied medical care, fired from their jobs, or thrown out of their homes simply because of who they are. prgtoken Much of the history of the United States is about expanding the definition of who is understood to be included when the Declaration of Independence says ``all men are created equal.'' When these words were first written, that phrase did not include Black and Latino men; it did not include Native Americans; it did not include women; and it did not include LGBTQ individuals. prgtoken Once again, we have an opportunity to continue our march toward justice and to enshrine in our Nation's laws protections for marginalized communities to ensure that everyone can fully participate in key areas of life and to provide them resources in the face of discrimination. prgtoken Today, I expect we will hear arguments asking us to pick and choose which of our Nation's children deserve our support, to pick which of our children are valuable enough to have a right to live their lives to the fullest. But that is a false choice and one designed to pit rights for some against rights for all. There is no question that all our children, including those who are transgender, deserve the freedom to choose their own path. prgtoken Many of the protections codified by this bill already exist throughout the country, whether through court decisions or in State laws. In those places, women still have rights, religious freedom is still protected, parents are still involved in their children's healthcare, and doctors are still free to exercise their professional medical judgment. And trans athletes from high schools to the Olympic trials sometimes win and sometimes lose, just like everyone else. prgtoken But the ability to have a job, to receive medical care, or to rent a home should not depend on who someone is, where they happen to live, or who represents them. LGBTQ people should not have to worry that a future Supreme Court could rip away their existing protections. They deserve the same protections as other communities that have historically faced discrimination, and that requires action from Congress. prgtoken For decades, the LGBTQ community has been telling us their stories of outrageous discrimination. Madam , to my colleagues, I say that it is far past time we stop asking them to come to the Capitol just to defend their existence. prgtoken To the LGBTQ community and, in particular, the trans youth and athletes who I expect will hear themselves
TRIBUTE TO VERNIS JACKSON
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2021-2-25

I am proud to recognize Vernis Jackson of Portsmouth as February's Granite Stater of the Month. Jackson is the founder of the Seacoast African American Cultural Center and played a critical role in establishing the African Burying Ground in downtown Portsmouth. prgtoken Jackson moved to Portsmouth from her hometown of Savannah, GA, in 1963 and in 1974 joined another Granite Stater in organizing the first chartered organization, Kwanza, for African-American women in New Hampshire. The group worked to support young people and communities on the Seacoast; however, Jackson felt that there was more that she could do to elevate African-American achievements in the State. prgtoken In 2000, Jackson founded the Seacoast African American Cultural Center, which holds concerts, educational programs, and exhibits to help highlight the contributions, both modern and historical, that individuals of African descent have made to communities on the Seacoast and around the world. prgtoken Jackson, who taught for 38 years in the Portsmouth school system, wanted to make sure that the center could be used as a resource for students. Thanks to Jackson's leadership, the center works closely with schools across Portsmouth, including holding art exhibits for middle school students and providing scholarships for high school students of color. prgtoken In 2016, the center featured an exhibit featuring dolls of color, and last year it hosted an exhibit showcasing photos from former President 's White House photographer Pete Souza. prgtoken Jackson also helped lead efforts in Portsmouth to establish the African prgtoken Burying Ground, which commemorates the spot where 13 individuals of African descent were buried in the 18th century. prgtoken Jackson's work to elevate the stories and culture of African Americans on the Seacoast and around the world represents the best of New Hampshire's efforts to create a more informed, inclusive, and just State that is welcoming of all people and backgrounds. I am honored to recognize her efforts and wish the center continued success.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-2-25

today I am introducing a bill to assess the feasibility of establishing a National Heritage Area in the Great Dismal Swamp, as part of an effort to study, recognize, and preserve the historic and natural treasures within this region. prgtoken As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, this bill underscores the ties between the natural landmark and African American history. The Great Dismal Swamp contains one of the largest collections of artifacts from maroon colonies, and it served as both a home for early colonial Free People of Color as well as one of a few known water-based stops for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. The Great Dismal Swamp also encompasses historic and ancestral lands of Native American tribes such as the Nansemond Indian Nation and the Haliwa-Saponi and Meherrin Tribes. prgtoken Today, the Dismal Swamp offers unique educational opportunities, recreational adventures, and environmental benefits. It is an important wildlife refuge for an impressive and diverse list of animal, insect, and plant species. If designated as a National Heritage Area, local communities will have access to technical assistance and advice from the National Park Service while maintaining full ownership, authority over decision-making, and stewardship of the biodiverse land. prgtoken I am pleased to be joined by my colleague Senator Mark Warner on this bill, and I am thankful to Congressman Donald McEachin's leadership on this effort in the House with Representatives Bobby Scott, G.K. Butterfield, and Elaine Luria. There is great potential for community and economic development stemming from a National Heritage Area designation. I prgtoken look forward to such grassroots, community-driven development, and plan to personally contribute to the boosted tourism and recreation. As a student of history I am looking forward to learning more from the trove of culture and history the Dismal has to offer. prgtoken I encourage the Senate to consider this legislation to help highlight, study, and conserve the unique ecology and cultural history contained in the Great Dismal Swamp for generations to come.
HOMETOWN HEROES
Elissa Slotkin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-2-25

I rise today to honor Jessica Witkowski, a young woman making a difference in her hometown of Hartland, Michigan. For her efforts, she has earned the distinction of being one of the first female Eagle Scouts in the country. Drawn by the Scouts' emphasis on environmental stewardship, service to community, and development of leadership skills, Jessica joined the Scouts 2 years ago as a sophomore in high school, shortly after they opened membership to girls. prgtoken She set her sights on a lofty goal, being a part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. After building and installing bluebird houses in Settler's Park for her Life Scout rank, she started brainstorming Eagle Scout projects that would similarly align with her love of the outdoors. prgtoken But soon after, the pandemic hit, and stay-at-home orders forced a change. Like a good Scout, though, Jessica adapted. She soon realized that the greatest need in the community was for face masks for seniors in retirement homes. Through Zoom meetings and video tutorials, she gathered 16 of her classmates and set out to teach them how to create face masks. prgtoken The fact that she had never sewn before did not hold her back, nor did the fact that she would have to sew with gloves on in order to follow the best practices for sanitation and avoiding potential spread. prgtoken From start to finish, the project took 2 months. By the time it was completed, Jessica and her determined group of volunteers had surpassed their initial goal of creating 600 masks, which Jessica distributed to the three local organizations taking care of seniors vulnerable to the pandemic. prgtoken Last fall, just by chance, on a tour of cider mills in my district, I actually ran into Jessica at Spicer's. Even now, I can still remember her infectious personality and her thousand-watt smile, even behind her face mask. She is an impressive young woman, and I am proud to represent her here in Congress. prgtoken Although we haven't been able to hold her official court of honor due to the pandemic, I know that it will come, and Jessica will be able to celebrate her achievement surrounded by her friends and family. In the meantime, it is my personal honor to speak these remarks into the Congressional Record so that folks back home can read about her hard work and dedicated service to community. Celebrating Marcus Goller
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2021-2-25

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 18 through 25 and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force Service; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.