mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-2-26

. Madam , we all want to beat this virus, but you can't beat a COVID pandemic with 91 percent pork barrel spending in the bill. Only 9 percent of the funding in this bill is going to COVID programs. $1,400 checks at what cost? $13,000 per taxpayer? prgtoken If we have any additional relief we need to pass for addressing COVID, it must be targeted, temporary, and tied to the pandemic. prgtoken What is not targeted? $350 billion in State and local bailouts that reward States that continue to shut down their economies. prgtoken What is not temporary? prgtoken A $1.5 million bridge to Canada or $112 million for an underground subway to Silicon Valley. prgtoken What is not tied to COVID? $86 billion to bail out the multiemployer pension plans that were poorly managed in -run States before the pandemic even started, $50 million in taxpayer dollars for abortion on demand. prgtoken This liberal wish list masquerading as COVID relief will cripple our economy, harm our ability to reopen our Nation, and burden our children and grandchildren with unsustainable levels of debt. prgtoken Madam , I strongly oppose this spending package, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-2-26

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , 2 weeks ago, the majority frog-marched the Agriculture Committee through a Potemkin markup. It was a legislative charade designed to give this process a veneer of regular order. prgtoken The truth is that this bill was drafted behind closed doors by the ic leadership, without input from the many rural stakeholders who have been begging this Congress for help. The result is a bill that spends too much on flawed priorities and fails to meet the needs of rural communities. prgtoken Agriculture Committee s offered amendments to provide much- needed funding for rural hospitals, schools, and businesses; telemedicine services; broadband connectivity; and critical disaster relief. prgtoken Surprising no one, these were defeated on a partisan basis. For the one that did pass in our committee, it was stripped from the bill before reaching the floor. prgtoken It is astonishing, . Despite the wish list of political giveaways and excessive spending in this bill, the majority somehow managed to forget rural America. prgtoken , I oppose this bill. I believe that we can do better than this. In fact, we must do better than this.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Gary J. Palmer (Republican, AL) \u2014 2021-2-26

millions of American school children will soon have missed a year of in-person instruction, and we may have inflicted permanent damage on some of them and on our country. prgtoken The educational losses are disproportionately the fault of ic Governors and mayors. Those are not my words but the content of an article in The New York Times. prgtoken The article goes on to say: ``The blunt fact is that it is , including those who run the West Coast, from California through Oregon to Washington State, who have presided over one of the worst blows to the education of disadvantaged Americans in history. The result: more dropouts, less literacy and numeracy, widening race gaps, and long-term harm to some of our most marginalized youth.'' prgtoken The article continues: ``As many as 3 million children in the United States have missed all formal education, in-person or virtual, for almost a year.'' prgtoken policies leaving schools closed have inflicted a pandemic of depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, drug abuse, and suicide among school-age children. You said this bill will get children back in school, but the funds in this bill that are education-related have nothing to do with reopening schools. It leaves them closed. prgtoken I hope parents of the children who are locked out of their schools are watching what you are doing, how you have abandoned their children in favor of your powerful political friends. I can only hope they never forget that, at the moment they needed you to step up and do the right thing, you failed them and their children. prgtoken , millions of American schoolchildren will soon have missed a year of in-person instruction, and we may have inflicted permanent damage on some of them, and on prgtoken our country. The educational losses are disproportionately the fault of ic governors and mayors who too often let schools stay closed even as bars opened. prgtoken Those are not my words, but the content of an article in the New York Times. The Times article goes on to say, The blunt fact is that it is --including those who run the West Coast, from California through Oregon to Washington State--who have presided over one of the worst blows to the education of disadvantaged Americans in history. The result: more dropouts, less literacy and numeracy, widening race gaps, and long-term harm to some of our most marginalized youth. prgtoken It continues, The San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank this month estimated that educational disruptions during this pandemic may increase the number of high school dropouts over 10 years by 3.8 percent, while also reducing the number of college-educated workers in the labor force. This will shrink the incomes of Americans for 70 years, until the last of today's students leave the work force, the bank said. prgtoken As many as three million children in the United States have missed all formal education, in-person or virtual, f
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
August Pfluger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-2-26

. Madam , I rise today in complete opposition to the ' blue State bailout bill. prgtoken This bill will cost the American taxpayer nearly $2 trillion--let that sit for a second--$2 trillion when our Nation is already $27 trillion in debt. prgtoken Where does this money go? prgtoken Surely it will be spent towards fighting the pandemic and COVID. Wrong. Only 9 percent of this money will go towards fighting COVID-19. The rest of the funding is going towards pet projects, like a subway in Silicon Valley and a bridge in New York. Taxpayers in Texas should absolutely not be rewarding States who have kept their economies shuttered and prevented workers from earning a living. prgtoken Madam , for these reasons and more, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-2-26

I rise in strong opposition to this bill because we should be here tonight focused on real priorities of the American people, and that should be number one. Reopening our schools now we should be focused on helping our small businesses, who are dying on the vine we should be focused on helping put more vaccination shots in the arms of Americans. Unfortunately, that is not what this bill does. prgtoken You are talking about over a trillion dollars that is still available from previous bipartisan bills that is out there. prgtoken There are tens of billions of dollars to reopen schools that are available today that are not being used. We had amendments to say, any new money in this bill for schools is tied to reopening schools. prgtoken Do you know that every voted against that amendment? prgtoken In fact, if you look at some of the spending in this bill that has nothing to do with COVID, $350 billion to bail out failed states. California gets over $40 billion in this bill when they just announced they had a $10 billion surplus. In fact, California is going to be getting a subway for the bay area--$112 million. prgtoken , I say we defund BART and give that money to those students right now who are being held back from going to school, who have mental health issues. That is what Mrs. Hinson's amendment will do. prgtoken , the motion to recommit actually focuses on helping kids. We are holding our kids back. This bill will actually delay reopening of schools; 95 percent of the school money in this bill can't even be spent until 2022. Our kids can't wait. We ought to be focused on helping families, on helping businesses, on reopening schools, and more vaccines. prgtoken If this bill did those things, they wouldn't be bringing it up at midnight on a Friday night. This bill ought to be in full public view. You don't pass this bill to find out what is in it. We need to defeat this bill and help families.
COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2021
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-2-26

the balance of my time. prgtoken , I appreciate my colleague from Colorado's love for the outdoors. I appreciate his passion to do what is right. prgtoken He mentioned the provisions in the Wilderness Act to address insects, disease, and wildfire that is a Band-Aid. That is what you do after the fact. prgtoken What we are proposing is proactive forest management so that you don't have the insects, the disease, and the wildfires. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. prgtoken I would challenge my colleagues to enjoy those scenes and those vistas. I encourage them to take pictures so they can show their children and grandchildren what they looked like before they locked them away in a wilderness area. prgtoken , this random assortment of amendments does nothing but make a bad bill three times worse. The only difference is that instead of having a package of eight bills that haven't been through regular order that will harm our environment and that will kill jobs in rural communities, we now have a package of 23 bills that haven't been through regular order, will harm the environment, and will kill jobs in rural communities. prgtoken No amendment in this package reduces our dependence on hostile foreign nations or critical minerals, improves our supply chains, or bolsters American energy security. No amendment in this package changes how we currently treat forest and wilderness areas with century-old technology like handsaws and shovels. No amendment in this prgtoken package creates new jobs or bolsters our economic growth. prgtoken What does this package do? It just adds more wilderness, more wild and scenic river designations, and more provisions that haven't gone through regular order and do not have the support of Members of Congress directly impacted by those amendments. prgtoken Needless to say, this isn't how we should be managing our resources, and it isn't how we should be legislating in Congress. prgtoken , I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this package of en bloc amendments, and .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-2-26

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , just before I begin, I also want to acknowledge that I had sent the chairman of the Rules Committee a letter earlier in the week, to which he today kindly responded, and I appreciate the prompt response to my concerns about Capitol security. prgtoken Madam , today's rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Throughout this process, s have been completely excluded. I sit on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, I sit on the Budget Committee, and I sit on the Rules Committee, and throughout the markups in each of these committees s offered sincere amendments to improve the bill for the American people. prgtoken While only 2 of the 245 amendments offered were adopted, the rule before us today strips out the one amendment adopted by a rollcall vote. prgtoken Earlier today in the Rules Committee, over 200 amendments were offered and debated, not a single one was made in order. The American people at least deserve to have the suggestions of Members that they elected to be debated on the House floor. They don't have to be adopted, but they should at least be heard on the House floor. It seems that the are unwilling to allow elected Members of Congress to do their job and represent their constituents. prgtoken With $1 trillion of funding left unspent from the previous--from the prgtoken previous--coronavirus response bills, it does seem that we do have some time to do our work, but, instead, we didn't even hold markups on this portion of the bill. prgtoken While the Energy and Commerce Committee did hold a markup, all amendments were defeated. This portion of the bill includes changes that will take months to implement, if indeed they happen at all. Perhaps the most startling figure is less than 10 percent of these dollars are actually spent on combating the coronavirus. prgtoken Despite spending over $14 billion on vaccines and therapeutics, after $28 billion was just recently provided in the fiscal year 2021 omnibus, this package does not contain any funding--zero funding--for the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health has been a critical partner in Operation Warp Speed and getting the vaccine through the approval process in literally warp speed time and helping the vaccine manufacturers in developing the coronavirus vaccine that we are now so urgently needing. prgtoken This legislation includes many provisions that really should be addressed outside of a coronavirus relief package, like providing a State option for postpartum Medicaid coverage for women. While this is a policy I have long advocated for, it should not be temporary, as this legislation directs it to sunset after 7 years. Let's bring that bill separately to the floor and get this
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-2-26

I thank the chairman, the number one second baseman on the team. prgtoken The bill you are about to vote on is the gravy train, and the final stop before it goes off the cliff is this Chamber, . It costs $1.9 trillion, and only 9 percent goes to addressing the coronavirus. prgtoken It is easy to understand why my colleagues across the aisle are so eager to vote for this massive bailout, because everything in it is for political paybacks: $300 billion for mismanaged governments in blue States; $100 million for a subway for Pelosi; even Mr. Schumer gets a bridge to nowhere. prgtoken There is way too much dadgum pork in here for special interests that have nothing to do with addressing the coronavirus. This was drafted for the politicians in D.C not my constituents in east Tennessee. prgtoken , I will proudly vote ``no'' on this so-called relief package.
COVID RELIEF
Rick W. Allen (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-2-26

here we go again. I am disappointed to say that my colleagues refuse to negotiate on legislation to provide targeted, temporary COVID-19 relief to the American people. prgtoken Let's be clear. Only 9 percent of this $1.9 trillion package being advanced goes toward pandemic-related expenses, and it is riddled with partisan priorities unrelated to the pandemic, including a $15 minimum wage requirement that will destroy 1.4 million starting jobs; $350 billion in blue State bailouts while leaving behind States like Georgia; funding for a Silicon Valley underground tunnel; and much more. prgtoken Throughout this whole process, my colleagues have rejected prioritizing reopening our schools, despite the CDC stating that schools can safely reopen with proper precautions. Some of our students haven't seen the inside of a classroom in a year. But partisan priorities are apparently more important. prgtoken Let's not forget that nearly $1 trillion remains unspent from previous relief packages. So let's stop calling it COVID relief when this package is clearly just a payout to Progressive priorities. prgtoken It is time to end this nonsense because the American people are no longer fooled.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-2-26

in the traumatic year since the COVID-19 pandemic attacked our country and the world, countless families have experienced heart shattering personal losses. prgtoken Parents, children, friends, neighbors, and colleagues have lost their lives fighting the virus. Businesses have shuttered, schools have closed, and our way of life with family and friends has nearly disappeared. prgtoken President 's American Rescue Plan is a courageous and positive step to address the destructive tragedy of the coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken I applaud my democratic colleagues who crafted this bold and unprecedented response in support of the American people. prgtoken I am proud to vote for the American Rescue Plan on behalf of my constituents and the nation as a whole. prgtoken This bill will provide individuals and families, including those of mixed status, with an economic impact payment of $1,400 dollars to help pay for essentials such as food, utilities, rent, medicine and other life-saving essentials. prgtoken This bill will ensure unemployed workers can continue to receive unemployment benefits during our emergency economic shut down. And it will ensure the continuation of critical food assistance for those in need. prgtoken The legislation also will provide much needed assistance to homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payment and it provides resources to help families pay their backrent to prevent eviction and homelessness. prgtoken And finally, The American Rescue Plan, recognizes the dignity of work by raising the national minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour by prgtoken 2025. This wage increase is critical to ensuring all working families are earning a living wage to meet their most basic of needs. prgtoken Beyond vital pocketbook issues, the legislation also reinforces the primary responsibility of our federal government to respond effectively to the pandemic by activating the Defense Production Act to ensure a more prolific means by which to guarantee the materials we need to manufacture the vaccine and the hardware needed to inject it into the arms of individuals to prevent further spread of the virus. prgtoken To address the weaknesses in our public health infrastructure's ability to respond to the crisis, the legislation also provides funding to support critical community health centers, so vital to meet the health care needs of my constituents and all residents of the United States. prgtoken This pandemic is unlike anything our world has encountered in over a hundred years. This robust package is a testament to the strength of our country and its responsibility and ability to meet the challenge of any crisis. prgtoken I heartily commend President and my colleagues in the House and Senate who have worked so hard on behalf of the American people to address the catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has taken the precious lives of over 500,000 Americans.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-2-26

. Madam , President has set forth a national plan to crush the virus. With this bill, Congress is providing the President with the resources and tools to implement a national plan that was sorely lacking under President . States competed against each other during the administration for personal protection equipment, ventilators, and testing supplies. That now ends. prgtoken This legislation provides $20 billion to speed up the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. It invests over $47 billion in a national testing strategy. It invests $7 billion to hire 100,000 new full-time public health workers to perform vital tasks, like vaccine outreach and contact tracing. It invests more than $25 billion to address health disparities. prgtoken We also include assistance for struggling families to help keep their lights on, the heat working, and the water running. We included $7.6 billion to expand internet connectivity to help students and teachers without home internet access. prgtoken Madam , the American Rescue Plan meets the unprecedented challenges our Nation is facing, and it deserves strong bipartisan support.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-2-26

. Madam , I thank Chairman McGovern for yielding. prgtoken Madam , as of this week, over 10,000 veterans and 130 VHA employees have lost their lives to COVID-19. Over 226,000 veterans and 18,000 VA employees have tested positive. prgtoken It is clear: We must act now. prgtoken This bill would provide funding to increase VA's claims and appeals processing to reduce the backlog caused by COVID-19. It would deliver critical funding for the Veterans Health Administration, bolster VA's supply chain modernization, and support State veterans homes to upgrade and enhance their safety operations. It would also fund stronger oversight through the VA's Office of Inspector General, secure assistance for unemployed veterans, and prohibit copayments for veterans during the pandemic. prgtoken This bill is critical to ensure the health system that veterans rely on can continue to meet their needs and serve as a backup to America's overwhelmed healthcare systems. prgtoken While a return to handshakes, hugs, and visible smiles is on the horizon, the prgtoken path to get there requires this Congress to do quick and thorough work to ensure we all get there together.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Steven Horsford (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2021-2-26

I rise in support of the working families who are counting on Congress to pass this American Rescue Plan. America is strong. American families are resilient, and American families are counting on this body to do its job. prgtoken Earlier this week, Morning Consult and Politico released polling showing that the American Rescue Plan earns support from 76 percent of Americans, including 60 percent of s. prgtoken For months, my colleagues have waged a campaign of misinformation against the new coronavirus relief package, but the American people know the toll that this pandemic has taken, and they are united around the need for this bill to pass. prgtoken This bill will invest millions in public health to make sure every community gets the COVID-19 vaccine. It will deliver $1,400 stimulus checks to most Americans, following up on the $600 payment we made last December. It will extend the employee retention tax credit to keep workers on payroll and create new jobs. It will provide critical assistance to frontline workers, struggling families, and the communities that have been hardest hit by this pandemic.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-2-26

. Madam , I rise in strong support of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and in strong support of this rule. prgtoken Madam , when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores a year ago, researchers across the Nation and across many fields of science and engineering jumped into action. The Nation's STEM talent redirected brainpower and resources to combatting the pandemic. And thanks in large part to prgtoken these efforts, we now have some positive news about our fight against COVID. prgtoken However, important scientific work remains to be done in this effort. The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's provisions included in this package direct funding through the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology for vital research related to prevention, response, and recovery from COVID-19. prgtoken Madam , s across the House for their work on this important rescue package, and I urge its adoption.