mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SOUTH ASIAN HEART HEALTH AWARENESS AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2022
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , I thank Representative Carter for yielding me time. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in support of the motion to recommit H.R. 3771. prgtoken We can all agree that preventing myocardial events in Asian Americans and all populations is important, but the health of our children coming through the pandemic is critical. prgtoken The motion to recommit would require the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on the education crisis in K-12 public schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report would include the total number of days schools were closed, the impact that school closures had on our most vulnerable population--which includes both academic achievement and mental health--and the amount of classroom instruction time that was lost. prgtoken As a mother of two children, I understand how important it is for all kids to be in school and learning among their peers. Unfortunately, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools had vaccine mandates, masking requirements, and virtual-only learning which has resulted in students paying the price through learning loss. The report to Congress this motion to recommit authorizes will provide us with the data that will help us move forward from this pandemic. prgtoken Early in the pandemic there was a lot of focus on limiting people's interactions with others. However, by summer of 2020, I would argue that the risk of keeping schools closed and how to reopen them as safely as possible was known. In fact, this was widely the practice in Europe. prgtoken As a physician and former Iowa director of public health, I recognize that children are at infinitesimally low risk of severe illness with COVID. In fact, in February of 2021, The New York Times reported that 86 percent of pediatric disease experts recommended in-person schooling regardless of vaccination status. In addition, a recent study found that grade-schoolers are at a lower risk than vaccinated adults. prgtoken By using transparent data from the CDC, we can make the best decisions for students when it comes to in-person instruction, vaccine and masking mandates, and their mental health, given the startling rise in youth suicide. prgtoken I believe that it is imperative for students to go to school and have in-person instruction. Our future leaders depend on the best education possible, which starts in the classroom. Let me repeat that: in the classroom. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the motion to recommit. As we are entering a new school year after 2 years of a pandemic, our students deserve to be back in the classroom among their peers. prgtoken Madam , I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.
ADVANCING TELEHEALTH BEYOND COVID-19 ACT OF 2021
Gregory F. Murphy (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 4040. There have been a few silver linings that we have seen in the pandemic, and definitely telehealth has been one of them. prgtoken I will submit, I am personally thankful for this bill because I will say, maybe, perhaps I am the only sitting Member of Congress who, as a physician, has actually used telehealth. prgtoken In my surgical practice, I see patients from 2 hours north, 2 hours south, and sometimes 5 hours east out on the eastern North Carolina coast. So many of my patients who come from rural eastern North Carolina can't even afford gas in the inflationary environment we have to even travel these distances, much less sometimes across town. prgtoken While this bill is a good start, it is a very, very good start, it does not go far enough, and that is why I, with Dr. Burgess and Congresswoman Herrell, introduced a bill to permanently extend telehealth for federally qualified health centers and rural health centers. These are the medical practices that take care of our poorest and the most at-risk patients. These individuals need to be able to access telehealth because they have to travel long distances and don't have the resources that they need to be able to access physician care. prgtoken I subsequently urge my colleagues to support this initiative and urge them that we can do much more.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , I think we need a little more talk about inflation. I know when we get home it is always the number one issue that is out there. I don't think there has been enough talk about how the inflation came about. prgtoken The inflation came about because of excessive spending. Every middle school student should know that if the Federal Government spends wildly more on the amount going out than the amount going in, the Federal Reserve has to, in essence, print the dollars to make those payments, and when the Federal Reserve prints more dollars, the value of the dollar drops, which is why we have these huge spending increases. prgtoken Now, I will make a couple of comments on them. prgtoken First of all, I think the numbers that we are supposed to talk about, the 9.1 increase in inflation, are woefully underrated. Here is the graph that all of us politicos are supposed to talk about. prgtoken Does anybody believe that the cost of shelter in the last 12 months has only gone up 5.6 percent? Where is the press? They ought to be making fun of that number. prgtoken When I talk to my landlords, when I talk to my builders, nobody thinks things have gone up only 5.6 percent in the last year. I think the cost of a new house has gone up 20 to 25 percent. I think the cost of rentals has gone up by 10 or 15 percent. It is way more than the 5.6 percent on this chart. prgtoken The same thing is true of automobiles. They tell us used automobiles have gone up by about 11.4 percent in the last year. Talk to your car dealers. They will laugh at the idea that used cars have only gone up by 11.4 percent in the last year. prgtoken Things are much worse than the numbers that are put out there by the administration. Therefore, the American public is suffering a lot more than even this so-called record inflation increase of 9.1. It is much more than that. prgtoken But once we get done looking at that, let's look at the new spending bills that are coming out. Have people learned their lesson? All of a sudden, we are going to produce even on the relatively small part of the budget, this discretionary spending, which is the part we vote on around here? Are we going to do something to maybe have no increase there or 2 or 3 percent increase there? No. prgtoken When we look at the bills, some of which we passed last week, and they break up what I think the people at home would call the budget into a variety of different bills, military construction and veterans affairs, people want an 18 percent increase for the year beginning October 1; financial services and general government, 17 percent increase; the Department of the Interior and the environment, up 18 percent. prgtoken In other words, even after the horrific inflation, when we come back to the regular budget, this place has the pedal to the metal, trying to spend another huge amount. prgtoken I think the press ought to wake up and pay attention to both of these issues. I beg the pre
ADVANCING TELEHEALTH BEYOND COVID-19 ACT OF 2021
Jay Obernolte (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , I represent one of the largest geographic districts in the country. Access to healthcare is a very real problem for the people I represent because many of them live hours away and hundreds of miles away from specialized healthcare. prgtoken For my constituents, one of the few positive developments that came out of COVID-19 was the expansion of the way that telehealth can be used to provide quality healthcare in districts like mine. prgtoken This bill, H.R. 4040, would take a very meaningful step in making permanent the changes to law that enable the provision of that telehealth, and I strongly urge its adoption.
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2022--Resumed
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-7-27

the mountain Americans have to climb to make ends meet keeps getting steeper and steeper as a result of omics. prgtoken Since President began his reckless tax-and-spending spree, prices are sky-high for gas, food, housing, and just about everything else. The administration's own statistics reveal inflation jumped nearly 10 percent in the last year, the biggest increase in over four decades. prgtoken keep telling us not to worry and that the problem is only ``temporary.'' Yet, every month, prices keep climbing and climbing and climbing. The reason is simple: President 's fiscal policies are driving costs higher and higher. prgtoken You may recall I came to the Senate floor a year ago to warn my colleagues that omics was causing inflation to spin out of control. Yet have ignored the struggles being inflicted on hard-working Americans and continue to pass one trillion-dollar bill after another. As reckless spending increased, the value of the dollar declined, meaning paychecks aren't going nearly as far as they did just a year ago. prgtoken To make matters even worse, the administration's ongoing effort to end domestic oil and gas production is fueling the elevated price at the pump, which reached an alltime high of more than $5 per gallon this summer; and an internal analysis by the administration's own Treasury Department forecasts that, this fall, gas prices could top $6 a gallon. prgtoken I am already hearing from Iowans and Iowa businesses about how folks aren't even able to afford to drive to work. The problem is becoming even more difficult since omics is driving up the sticker prices on cars to record highs. The actual retail price for a new vehicle is $48,000, and if that sounds like a lot, the cost of buying a home has also reached an alltime high of $416,000. It is no surprise fewer people are buying homes. Then look at rent. It has also hit a record high of nearly $1,900 a month. These unpredictable prices have everyone asking themselves if ``The Price is Right.'' prgtoken Folks, Americans shouldn't have to play guessing games about whether or not their paychecks can be stretched far enough to avoid going over a financial cliff. Each bill the have passed as part of the agenda has increased costs for working Americans while moving our Nation closer and closer to the edge of the fiscal cliff. prgtoken Consider that when was inaugurated as President in January 2021, the inflation rate was only 1 percent. After their so-called COVID relief bill--which cost $1.9 trillion--was passed in March of last year, the inflation rate moved up to nearly 3 percent. prgtoken In July, President claimed the quickly increasing prices were ``temporary'' and that his big spending plans would result in lower prices for Americans, but by the time the President signed his $1 trillion, so-called infrastructure bill in November
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Rick W. Allen (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , I appreciate Mr. Johnson's leadership here during this Special Order hour. prgtoken Madam , since President took office, his administration has purposely and without remorse started a war on fossil fuels and American energy independence. This is destroying our economy, and it is creating a tremendous burden on the American people. prgtoken 's failed energy policies have led him to beg, of all places, Saudi Arabia to increase their global energy supply instead of unleashing our domestic oil and gas production. prgtoken This is insanity. prgtoken Let me tell you, when I am in my district, nobody asks me about climate change. But let me tell you, when I am filling up my car with gas, people come over to me who know me, and they say: ``What are you going to do about this?'' That is when I remind them that when s held the majority, we unleashed the American economy and the power of the American energy and energy independence, and we did this for the first time since 1957. prgtoken And what happened? Gas was under $3 a gallon, and we actually exceeded the Paris Climate Agreement targets for reducing emissions without even being subject to that agreement. prgtoken America wasn't just energy independent; we were energy dominant. We did it once; we can do it again. We don't need to beg other countries to produce more oil. We should be doing it right here in the United States where we produce energy more cleanly and efficiently than any place else in the world. prgtoken American oil and gas emits 30 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other countries, especially Russia. Here is the bottom line: Oil and natural gas remain essential in delivering the baseload power necessary to sustain American homes, businesses, and livelihoods. prgtoken Madam , if we are serious about bringing energy prices down and delivering real relief to the American people, we must invest in American energy and reclaim our energy independence.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 263, BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4040, ADVANCING TELEHEALTH BEYOND COVID-19 ACT OF 2021, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Michelle Fischbach (Republican, MN) \u2014 2022-7-27

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I would just like to mention that finding middle ground actually starts with allowing the minority input into bills, whether that be in committee or offering amendments on the floor. But that is where finding middle ground and that is where finding bipartisan solutions starts. prgtoken I would also like to remind my colleague from the Rules Committee that this PQ would not stop consideration of the bills in the rule. It would simply allow consideration of the amendment that was proposed. prgtoken , .
HONORING THE LIFE OF MICHAEL LONG
Elise M. Stefanik (Republican, NY) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , as you heard from all the New York Members of Congress, Mike's influence cannot be over emphasized. He has touched tens of thousands of lives over his decades of service and really his lifetime of service. prgtoken As many of our Members talked about, Mike Long was a man of principle. Mike was a man of faith, of freedom, of family, and he was a proud American. prgtoken Madam , .
PAIN AT THE PUMP
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. If I could just add a thought to that. This is not and should not be a issue versus a . This is an American issue. Both parties, Independents, people who have no affiliation, the country is suffering under this. prgtoken I don't know if you saw the recent poll that said only 1 percent of Americans believe that the current economic conditions are excellent, only 1 percent. Twelve percent said it was good. That leaves 87 percent of this country admitting we are in bad economic circumstances in a variety of the spectrum there of how they described it. But 87 percent, that is and s and Independents and people who never vote. That is our country that is suffering. prgtoken So I think it is important that we do all we can to stand up for the entire Nation right now and say it is time to make some key changes. prgtoken The free enterprise system is the greatest economic engine in the history of the world, and we are suffocating it right now by advancing policies that are just destructive, and the impact of that is not only on our economic system but on individual lives.
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2022--Resumed
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-7-27

. I do not. . prgtoken Debates on the Senate floor sometimes can be clarifying. Over the course of the day, my office and I engaged in good-faith negotiations with a number of ic Senators. We engaged in extensive negotiation with Senator Manchin, the chair of the relevant committee. Senator Manchin proposed minor alterations to this bill and agreed to support it if we made those alterations. I agreed to accept Senator Manchin's alterations, and we then had what was going to be a bipartisan bill. prgtoken Senator Cantwell, likewise, we negotiated with her office today and had reached what we thought was an agreement. prgtoken And then at the last moment, the Senator from Connecticut raised this objection. And I think what he is asking this body to pass really clarifies where the extreme left wing of the ic Party is, which is the Green New Deal want to destroy American energy jobs. They want to destroy the American oil and gas industry. They want to destroy our own production, and, bizarrely, they simultaneously want to benefit energy jobs of our enemies. prgtoken There is some irony that the Senator from Connecticut is leading this objection because it was earlier this year when the Senator from Connecticut led the effort in this body to block sanctions on Russia and Vladimir Putin on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, sanctions that I had authored and passed into law, not once but twice; sanctions that had stopped that pipeline; sanctions that had prevented Putin from invading Ukraine; sanctions that hurt Russia and hurt Putin until became President and decided to waive the sanctions on Russia and Putin to capitulate to Russia and Putin. prgtoken When did so, when waived those sanctions, the Government of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy, said: If you waive these sanctions, Russia will invade Ukraine. The Government of Poland said: If you waive these sanctions, Russia will invade Ukraine. prgtoken And in January of this year, I forced a vote on imposing the sanctions. At the time, the Government of Ukraine begged us--there were tanks on the border of Ukraine, the invasion hadn't prgtoken happened--and the government of Ukraine begged us: Please pass these sanctions. prgtoken Now, every in this body had voted for my sanctions not once but twice. They had supported it when the President's name was Donald J. . prgtoken But then they had a in the White House, and a , , who, on the day of the vote, came to Capitol Hill--it is the only time I know of that he has done this--to personally lobby to vote against sanctions on Russia, against sanctions on Putin, to vote to green-light a natural gas pipeline for Putin and Russia. prgtoken And the Senator from Connecticut led the fight on the Senate floor, urging his ic colleagues: Flip your votes. Give an enormous present to Russia and Putin, and sacrifice U
SOUTH ASIAN HEART HEALTH AWARENESS AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2022
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to express my concerns with H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022. prgtoken Investing in the health of all Americans through innovative and targeted programming has been a priority for House s. We have been steadfast in our support for heart health promotion and cardiovascular research through consistent and robust funding of the National Institutes of Health and most recently through passage of Congressman Barr's H.R. 1193, the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act. prgtoken Unfortunately, H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022, that we are discussing today will do nothing to meaningfully improve cardiovascular health of Americans. prgtoken Energy and Commerce Committee s have repeatedly expressed concerns throughout the entire legislative process. There are already numerous Federal initiatives at the CDC, the NIH, and the Patient- Centered Outcomes Research Institute which are already dedicated to cardiovascular health. What the CDC really needs to do is refocus on its original mission of controlling and responding to infectious diseases. prgtoken After extending itself in so many directions in their interest of prevention and public health, the CDC has become nearly incapable of adequately addressing serious threats posed by infectious diseases, especially novel ones for which there is little information about risks, spread, and treatment. Now is not the time to create duplicative programs when the CDC's management of an ongoing pandemic and the current monkeypox outbreak has arguably been abysmal. prgtoken Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gotttlieb was recently quoted as saying that it may be too late to control and contain the monkeypox and compared CDC's response to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic saying that the U.S. is making a lot of the same mistakes, such as a lack of testing and not enough vaccines. prgtoken I couldn't agree more. prgtoken The window to getting this under control is closing fast. There are other concerning infectious diseases that need to be addressed. Ghana just recently declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, an incredibly infectious and deadly virus that needs to be addressed by the global health community immediately before it gets out of hand. prgtoken Addressing and preventing heart disease is important. Make no mistake about that. But the ever-expanding portfolio of public health issues is simply not sustainable. We don't need another duplicative public health prevention initiative that further erodes the CDC's focus. prgtoken Madam , I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and .
SUSAN MUFFLEY ACT OF 2022
Fred Keller (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , I thank the ranking member, Dr. Foxx, of North Carolina for yielding. prgtoken Unlike the multi-employer pension program, which was recently injected with billions of taxpayer dollars, the single-employer insurance program is self-sufficient. It is funded by premiums paid by employer sponsors to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. By most accounts, PBGC's single-employer insurance system is healthy and not in need of bailouts. Yet a bailout is exactly what H.R. 6929 is. You cannot give public money out to one person without first taking it from another. prgtoken This bill does not help Pennsylvanians without a pension plan or with losses in their personal retirement accounts. On the contrary, this bill is an irresponsible giveaway that sets a dangerous precedent for the Federal Government's involvement in pension plans going forward. prgtoken The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bailout will cost taxpayers nearly $800 million over 10 years; not including the lifetime cost of the bill, which could reach $1.3 billion. I wonder how the people that have to pay that in the next generation are going to pay their rent, afford their college, and afford their groceries. prgtoken Congressional and the administration have already spent tens of billions on insolvent and failing multi-employer plans, without holding trustees accountable for failing workers or retirees, or meaningfully reforming the pension system to prevent future insolvency. prgtoken Once again, the Federal Government is offering a pension bailout. prgtoken Hardworking taxpayers who have their own retirements to worry about cannot continue to shoulder this burden. We cannot set this kind of precedent for a single-employer system. If Congress gives special treatment to this plan covered by today's bill, the other 5,000 single- employer plans also managed by PBGC will pressure Congress to do the same for all. prgtoken Is Congress then expected to top up or provide a lump sum to every future terminated plan? These are serious implications that cannot be ignored. prgtoken The vast majority of participants in terminated plans receive their full benefits. The Delphi plans are no exception. Nearly three-fourths of participants were not subject to the PBGC's statutory guarantee limits. prgtoken This body must remember it works for the taxpayers, not political interest groups. Americans don't work hard each and every day to fund irresponsible pet projects. We need more fiscal sanity, not more pension bailouts. prgtoken On top of all these issues, the manager's amendment is simply a budget gimmick to make the bill appear to cost nothing. prgtoken In reality, it accelerates the time period in which single-employer plans are required to pay their variable rate premiums to the PBGC to fit within the budget window, and it adds nothing to the PBGC's bottom line.