mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2021-3-9

I rise today to introduce the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2021. from North Carolina, Senator Tillis, for working with me on this important piece of legislation, which serves as a first step to closing the diversity gap in our patent system by collecting demographic data on patent applicants. prgtoken Women and racial minorities have made some of the most significant inventions in this Nation's history. The $75 billion home security industry grew from an initial home security system invented by Marie Van Brittan Brown. The computer would never have become the multimedia device it is today without the microcomputer system invented by Mark Dean. The genetic revolution would still be science fiction if not for the CRISPR gene-editing tool discovered by Jennifer Doudna--raised on Hawaii's Big Island. prgtoken We should celebrate these inventors and the many others like them who have contributed to innovation in this Nation. But we must also recognize the hard truth that women, racial minorities, and many other groups are greatly underrepresented in the U.S. patent system. prgtoken The Patent and Trademark Office's recent report on women inventors shines a spotlight on one part of this problem. The PTO found that only 22 percent of U.S. patents list a woman as an inventor and that women make up only 13 percent of all inventors. This is true even though women held 43 percent of all full-time jobs in 2016 and 28 percent of STEM jobs in 2015. prgtoken Other reports highlight racial patent gaps. For example, a report by the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that the percentage of African American and Hispanic college graduates who hold patents is approximately half that of their white counterparts. prgtoken Closing these gaps would turbocharge our economy. According to a study by Michigan State University Professor Lisa Cook, including more women and African Americans in the ``initial stage of the process of innovation'' could increase GDP by as much as $640 billion. prgtoken Another study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that eliminating the patent gap for women with science and engineering degrees alone would increase GDP by over $500 billion. prgtoken It's simply good policy and good business to want to fully integrate people of all types into our innovation economy. But if we have any hope of closing the various patent gaps, we must first get a firm grasp on the scope of the problem. prgtoken Studies of the demographic makeup of patentees, like the ones I described, are few and far between. The reason is a simple one. A lack of data. The PTO does not collect any data on applicants beyond their first and last names and city, State, and country of residence. As a result, those wishing to study patent gaps between different demographic groups are forced to guess the gender of an applicant based on his or her name, determine the race of a
Nominations (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-3-9

I had a press conference this Sunday back home in Illinois to talk about what the American Rescue Plan means to our State. It is dramatic. Dramatic. prgtoken Millions of dollars will be coming to our State to buy vaccines. I can tell you, all across Illinois, people are asking: When is it my turn? When do I get my chance? And we want to make sure they get that chance sooner rather than later. prgtoken Think about what President inherited just a few weeks ago. Surely they had found some vaccines--excellent vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna--approved by then, but he came to the White House to find that there was no plan to administer those vaccines across the Nation. prgtoken Vaccine is important, but it is of little value if it is not in the arms of Americans. So he set out to establish a standard that we would be distributing this vaccine across the United States as quickly as possible and the mechanism, the infrastructure to make certain that it was administered by professionals who know what they are doing. That is quite an undertaking. It is the largest vaccination in the history of our Nation. But President said he needed help to do it--not just money for the vaccine but money for testing, money for the genomic sequencing necessary to detect variants that might be emerging in the United States. That was a major element of the bill that passed this Senate last Saturday. prgtoken He also put money in there that had already been promised to the American people. Remember when President said $2,000 for every American? We agreed on a bipartisan basis. The first downpayment was last December, $600, and the remainder, $1,400, was included in the bill that passed on Saturday. prgtoken I have yet to hear a Senator come to this floor and criticize that sum of money. All of them--I should say most of them have publicly supported it, and others say little or nothing about it, but no one is saying that it shouldn't be given as a result of the promise made. We kept that promise. That was part of what we were doing. prgtoken We also had a responsibility to millions of Americans who are still collecting unemployment. As of March 14, prgtoken they were going to lose their opportunity to continue that unemployment check. prgtoken There were arguments made on the floor here that these were just lazy people and that if you give them an unemployment check, they will just continue to be lazy and won't go back to work. I don't buy that. I don't believe it. Are some lazy? Well, possibly. I think the vast majority of these people are desperate. They are desperate because they have been laid off or lost their jobs and they need to keep their families together. prgtoken Unemployment benefits do that, and they also give fuel to the economy to recover. We were told that by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and others--to put enough stimulus back in this economy so we can come out of it strong s
A YEAR AGO THE PANDEMIC CHANGED OUR COUNTRY
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-3-9

a year ago, this pandemic changed our country; and during this year, more than 525,000 Americans have died from the virus, including 7,800 Marylanders. Too many jobs have been lost, too many families are struggling, and too many businesses have shuttered. prgtoken The American Rescue Plan provides a lifeline for our country. The average family of four in my district will receive approximately $10,000 of direct assistance. With another round of stimulus checks and the expansion of the child tax credit, we will get families back on their feet and cut child poverty in half. prgtoken The American Recuse Plan will also aid our communities during this crisis, funding that will expand vaccinations, especially in Black and Brown communities; money to help safely open schools; and assistance to keep teachers, transit workers, and other public servants on the job. prgtoken This unprecedented crisis calls on us to meet the moment with decisive action the American Rescue Plan is that decisive action.
IN GRATITUDE TO BLAIR BOWMAN
Haley M. Stevens (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-3-9

. Madam , I rise today to recognize an exceptional constituent and community leader in Michigan's 11th District, Mr. Blair Bowman. prgtoken Mr. Bowman is a lifelong Michigander who graduated from Farmington High School in Farmington, Michigan, obtained his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and law degree from University of Detroit School of Law. prgtoken In 2005, after following in his father's footsteps by entering the real estate brokerage and development field, he built a facility in Novi, Michigan, which operates today as the Suburban Collection Showplace. This is one of a few examples in the country of a truly privately owned and operated convention and exposition center, with nearly two million people passing through annually. prgtoken When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Mr. Bowman wasted no time in offering his center to be transformed into an alternative care facility for COVID-19 patients. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District led the 250,000 square foot conversion of the Suburban Collection Showplace convention center into a medical facility in 15 days, where they created a 250-bed space for patients from area hospitals. prgtoken Now, the previous regional field hospital is hosting one of Oakland County's COVID-19 vaccination clinics, helping to defeat this virus once and for all. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the outstanding contributions Mr. Bowman has made to his community, and to our country at large.
PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE ACT OF 2021
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-3-9

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , these amendments will provide whistle-blower protection for workers, expose violations of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, require the Department of Labor to make employment arrangements and payments to union avoidance firms available and more accessible, clarify that nothing in the bill would expand the National Labor Relations Board's jurisdictional standards, direct the NLRB to establish a system of electronic voting in representation elections, clarify that nothing in the bill will be construed to amend the definition of employer or employee in any provisions of State law, direct the GAO to produce a study of the use of sectoral bargaining in peer nations, require that workers are informed of their rights under the bill in a language that they actually speak, direct the GAO to produce a study of the impact of the PRO Act's changes to the definitions of employee and employer, adds a 120-day timeline for the arbitration process when workers and employers are unable to reach a first bargaining agreement, and confirms that the bill will not affect existing provisions for worker privacy. prgtoken These amendments make meaningful improvements to the bill. prgtoken Madam , I urge a ``yes'' vote on en bloc 1, and .
Business Before the Senate (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-3-9

the Senate returns this week to the business of nominations. Today, the Senate will confirm Congresswoman Marcia Fudge to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, followed by confirmation votes later this week for Merrick Garland to serve as Attorney General and Michael Regan to serve as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. prgtoken Finally, the Senate will begin the confirmation process for Congresswoman Deb Haaland before the week is out. She would be the first Native American Cabinet member of any Agency and the first indigenous Secretary of the Interior--a profoundly important moment given the historically troubled relationship between the Federal Government and Tribal nations. Despite obstruction, Representative Haaland will be confirmed by the Senate to be Secretary Haaland. I will file cloture on her nomination immediately after my remarks.
PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE ACT OF 2021
Donald Norcross (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-3-9

. Madam , the ``thugs.'' Are those the friends of the folks who attacked this Capitol? Is that who you are talking about? Those are thugs. prgtoken Madam , for 44 years, I have been a member of the IBEW. My brothers went to college. I did the other thing. I went to the other 4- year school, an apprenticeship. My entire life has been about speaking for those voices, those workers who didn't have a voice. prgtoken Listen to this: Employers shouldn't make the decision, and unions shouldn't make the decision. Employees make the decision whether or not they want to enter into a collective bargaining agreement. prgtoken That is one of the reasons why I and five others formed the Labor Caucus, because their voices are not being heard. prgtoken Unlimited money, the total control of the workplace--OSHA injuries are much higher on nonunion jobs than union jobs. Why? Because workers have a voice. They have better health benefits; they have better pensions; they have dignity in retiring. prgtoken Madam , I have spent 44 years and have been involved with 30 organizing campaigns. I know what it is like to go out and get those cards signed. I know what it is like to have a fair election, and that is what we need. prgtoken Fairness in America still counts, and workers have been on the wrong end of that deal for so long. prgtoken Madam , I am asking my colleagues to do what is right for America. Pass the PRO Act. We are all in this together.
PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE ACT OF 2021
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-3-9

. Madam , and still I rise. And I thank the Honorable Bobby Scott for the opportunity to be heard. I will be terse. prgtoken Madam , unions protect people. Unions protect people because those workers will organize and make sure that there is a safe work environment. prgtoken This is important because if not but for the union, many companies would simply build into the cost of doing business the injuries that may be sustained. I am a member of Local 1550 of AFSCME and proud to say it. prgtoken Madam , I support this legislation because it will save lives.
GETTING BACK ON TRACK WITH AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-3-9

1 year ago, almost to this very day, is the day when COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. One year ago, we didn't know that this pandemic would infect millions of Americans or kill thousands of Texans in my home State and hurt so many disadvantaged communities. prgtoken But after a year of darkness, we are finally seeing the light because the prgtoken House will pass, tomorrow, the American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive plan that the - administration and our -led House and Senate has crafted which will give constituents in the district that I represent, and all Americans, the chance for some relief. prgtoken Our plan will help crush the COVID-19 virus and get the economy moving again by getting vaccines into arms across the country. Because in places like my home State of Texas, where Greg Abbott, who is the Governor, is prematurely lifting COVID-19 restrictions, the best thing we can do to combat a potential surge against the virus is to make sure that everybody has a vaccine. prgtoken , that is why I am a proud supporter and will vote for the American Rescue Plan tomorrow, because we need a bold solution like this one for our country and economy to get back on the right track and to get back to normal.
Nomination of Marcia Louise Fudge (Executive Session)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-3-9

today, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting another dedicated and talented public servant and a great Ohioan--my Congresswoman for the last 12 years--Marsha Fudge, to be our next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. prgtoken Congresswoman Fudge is a proud daughter of Ohio. She was born in Cleveland, grew up in Ohio, and graduated from the Ohio State University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Congresswoman Fudge has a long and distinguished career serving our State in the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County courts and Cuyahoga County prosecutors' office, as chief of staff to the trailblazing Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and as mayor of Warrensville Heights, OH. prgtoken At HUD, Congresswoman Fudge will work to help protect our kids from lead poisoning, to restore the promise of fair housing, and to give communities the help and the resources that they need. It is a tall order. It is one she is poised to meet. prgtoken She brings to the job the unique and critical experience of serving as mayor for the kind of community that is either overlooked or outright preyed upon by Wall Street and by big investors. She understands we can't write off entire swaths of the country--whether it is a coal town in southeast Ohio or a historic industrial city like the one I grew up in, in Mansfield, or whether it is farm country around Lexington, OH, or whether it is an urban neighborhood on the East Side of Cleveland. prgtoken This champion of Cleveland understands that. She saw up close how lenders preyed on families and the foreclosure crisis that followed. My colleagues have heard me talk about ZIP code 44105, where Connie and I live, which had more foreclosures in the first half of 2007 than any ZIP code in the United States prgtoken At the time, Congresswoman Fudge was serving as mayor of a city fewer than 20 miles away. Today, she represents this ZIP code in the United States Congress. Those families are more than just a statistic to her. They are her constituents. They are her neighbors. They are her friends. She knows their story. She knows how, for decades, communities have watched as factories closed, investment dried up, and storefronts were boarded over. She knows how many neighborhoods and towns have never had the investment they should--from Black codes to Jim Crow, to red lining, to the discrimination that President 's regulators locked into place. She understands how decades of policy funneled resources and jobs away from Black and Brown communities. prgtoken A few years ago, I was talking with local health department officials in Cleveland. I asked them what percentage of the older homes that make up the bulk of Cleveland housing have dangerous levels of lead, those homes built right after World War II or before that. They said 99 percent of those homes have high levels of lead--dangerously high levels of lead. prgtoken The families in those homes are Congresswoman Fudge's constitue
STANDING WITH WORKERS BY PASSING PRO ACT
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2021-3-9

I rise today in support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, the PRO Act. prgtoken Just last weekend, I invited a number of our ic colleagues to come to my district and stand in solidarity with the Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, who are voting this month on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. prgtoken , it is because of unions that we have a 5-day workweek. It is because of unions that we have safer working conditions all across America. Congress must do more to protect the basic right to join a union. prgtoken If we pass the PRO Act, workers in Bessemer and workers across this country will have stronger collective bargaining rights and more streamlined union election processes. We would also have meaningful enforcement for companies that violate workers' rights. prgtoken The workers in my Alabama district deserve a fair election that is free of influence from management. prgtoken , the Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are following a rich tradition of ordinary Alabamians, standing up and fighting for civil rights and human rights. I am asking my colleagues to stand with the workers in Bessemer and around this country by passing the PRO Act.
Nomination of Marcia Louise Fudge (Executive Session)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-3-10

. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting a dedicated and talented public servant and great Ohioan, my Congresswoman for the last 12 years, Marcia Fudge, to be our next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The Presiding Officer served with her in the House of Representatives and appreciates her. prgtoken I can think no one better to lead us out of this pandemic and create strong communities for the future than Marcia Fudge. When she came before the Banking and Housing Committee, Congresswoman Fudge's knowledge and passion for service and her commitment to the people who make this country work were obvious to all of us, s and alike. prgtoken After a year when Black Americans endured so many painful reminders of the yawning gap between the promise of our founding ideals and our failure to make that promise real for everyone, it is meaningful that our committee's first nomination hearing featured two African-American women who will take leading roles in our economic recovery, Marcia Fudge and Dr. Cecilia Rouse, who has been confirmed already to be Chair of the National Economic Council at the White House. The Senate confirmed Dr. Rouse with broad bipartisan support this month. prgtoken It matters on so many levels. It is important for our future that little girls, including Black and Brown girls, see themselves in our leaders, from the Vice President to Marcia Fudge, to Cecilia Rouse, to so many people in this Cabinet, including the new Secretary of the Interior from the Presiding Officer's area of the country. It matters because of perspectives and life experience these two Black women bring to these jobs. prgtoken Congresswoman Fudge will lead an Agency that supports families and communities, provides housing and safety to people experiencing homelessness, and it helps communities rebuild. prgtoken Today, HUD is grappling with a housing market where millions of families find it harder and harder to afford a decent home. New data out this week confirms that home prices are soaring around the country even while millions are out of work. Imagine that. The cost of housing is up, but wages are flat. So many workers have trouble making rent every month, with the kind of stress that brings and too often having to turn to predatory loans. The dream of home ownership is increasingly out of reach for too many families in New Mexico and too many families in Ohio. prgtoken None of this started with COVID-19. The affordable housing crisis is the product of decades of conscious policy decisions by Wall Street, corporations, and too often by government. This pandemic has exposed what millions of families in this country already knew: that for far too many people, a hard day's work doesn't pay the bills. prgtoken Before the United States ever had its first case of COVID-19, one- quarter--listen to this--one-quarter of all renters of this country spent more than half their income on housing, on rent
COMMEMORATING TIBETAN UPRISING DAY
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-3-10

I rise today to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day. prgtoken , I have the honor of representing an incredibly diverse community of individuals at home in New York 14, many of whom are Tibetan. In fact, one of the largest constituencies of Tibetans in the world makes its home in New York 14. prgtoken For decades, the Tibetan people have bravely fought for their freedom, including to seek and fight for the freedom to simply be Tibetan: to speak their language; to practice their Buddhist religion; to sustain their culture, their traditional medicine, and their land; and to live freely in their own country. prgtoken It is the responsibility of all those who value freedom of speech and expression to stand with them against gross human rights abuses. prgtoken , I am proud to stand with the Tibetan residents of New York 14 and all those across the country in their righteous fight against persecution.