mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Lisa DeNell Cook (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2022-5-10

I have kind of heard it all today. I am not going to engage with the ranking member when he calls her unqualified. We know this is about a history of this committee's s voting against very qualified African-American women. We have won that debate; we have won it with the American people. prgtoken And I was just handed--because I remembered this. I remembered hundreds, literally hundreds, of prominent people in the economics field and outside the economics field that supported Lisa Cook, they wrote letters. We got more letters, I believe, for Lisa Cook than any nominee for the Fed. prgtoken The ranking member knows, and he has voted for some pretty unqualified people, and that he would decide this is one he is voting against is just kind of sad. Let me give you some examples, 35 Marshall and Truman Scholars are supporting her--35; the National Bankers Association; Ben Bernanke, a nominee who was chair of the Federal Reserve; all kinds of organizations, some political, some not political, many of them bank-based. prgtoken I will send these to the ranking member so he can get a look at them. I know he has already seen them before, but they seem to have slipped his mind. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support Dr. Cook. She teaches at Michigan State, the presiding officer's proud institution. She would be a historic confirmation to the Board of Governors, we know that. She understands how economic policy affects all kinds of different people in different parts of the country, from the rural south where she grew up to the industrial Midwest where she built her career. One of the things I like about her, the Federal Reserve--I mean, I understand that economic conservatives in this body--and I think the ranking member would probably define himself that way; I admire his courage in voting against-- prgtoken voting for the removal of President , so I admired his courage. I just think he is wrong on these kind of nominees. But I just--I look at her, and I see how--what I like--one of the things I like about her is the Fed, for years, has just practiced this top-down economic policy. The people that sit on the Fed, they almost all look like me, historically. prgtoken In fact, Lisa Cook will be the first Black woman in 109 years ever to sit on the Fed, seven members of the Fed at any one time, and the terms are--usually they stay 5 to 10 years--so you can see how many people cycle in and out. But they almost all believe in this trickle-down economics that you give tax cuts to rich people and it will trickle down and the economy will be better. prgtoken Well, Lisa Cook is different. She doesn't come from the coast. She comes from what some people on the coast would call ``flyover country,'' Michigan or Ohio. She grew up in a small town in Georgia. prgtoken She went to college at Spelman, one of the best schools in the country. She was a Marshall and a Truman Scholar in England. She got he
Women's Health Protection Act (Executive Calendar)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-5-10

in the aftermath of last week's leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, we are facing one of the lowest moments in history for our Nation's highest Court. prgtoken An illegitimate, far-right majority on the Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and take away a fundamental constitutional right that has been the law of the land for almost 50 years--the right to a legal, safe abortion. Every American deserves the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies. prgtoken While the leaked opinion may only be a draft, we cannot ignore the profound threat it poses. That is because the opinion is the outrageous culmination of a rightwing campaign to take over the Court and take America back to the days when far too many faced not only a loss of liberty but a loss of life when seeking abortion care. prgtoken It validates the theft of two Supreme Court seats by President , then-Leader McConnell, and Senate s. prgtoken It confirms that conservative Justices lied to the Congress and the American people about their commitment to the Court's precedent and the rule of law. prgtoken Overturning Roe v. Wade will undermine the health, safety, and freedom of millions of Americans, and it will create horrific pain and hardship for people all across the Nation, especially those without the means or resources to travel to States where abortion will remain safe and legal. prgtoken Already, for pregnant Americans in red States across the country, access to abortion is functionally denied because of a lack of funds, geography, immigration status, and other barriers. This war on people of color and the poor is already being waged, and we cannot let the Supreme Court provide deadlier weapons. prgtoken If the extremist rightwing of the Court is willing to abandon something as fundamental as the right to privacy and the right for Americans to make decisions about their own bodies, then we are on a slippery slope to the undoing of other fundamental rights the Court has recognized as being grounded in the right to privacy, including the right to use contraception or the right to marry whomever you love. prgtoken But this was the goal of the s and the rightwing all along: steal the Supreme Court seats, steal an election, and steal the rights of Americans. prgtoken This is the direct consequence of an anti-majoritarian and anti- democratic national electoral system that allowed two Presidents, who both lost the popular vote, to nominate more than half of the current Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court and allowed them to be confirmed by Senators representing a minority of the Nation's population. prgtoken This is the racist, misogynistic, xenophobic manifestation of a radical rightwing, extremist vision of America that is out of step with the vast majority of Americans. In fact, by a 2-to-1 margin, Americans say Roe v. W
Women's Health Protection Act (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2022-5-10

I am on the floor here today to address the same topic as my colleague who just spoke. And before I jump into prepared remarks, I wanted to offer just a few points of rebuttal because on this topic it seems so frequently that we all talk past each other and don't generally listen to one another. prgtoken The Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, which I lead with Senator Blumenthal, would, indeed, codify Roe v. Wade, but it would additionally give clarity to the States about what further restrictions they could put in place. prgtoken I hail from the State of Wisconsin, where our State legislature, over many, many years, has brought forth all sorts of measures--some of which have been signed into law, many of which have been challenged in court, and some of which have been vetoed--but these are restrictions on access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion care, that limit access, that make it much more difficult, which is what Roe v. Wade intended to prevent. They have nothing to do with the health or the life of the mother. In fact, in some cases, they actually do harm to maternal life and health. prgtoken There are measures in places across the United States that deal with the corridor width of clinics--the corridor width. It would force, if these laws were to go into effect, many clinics to have to either reconstruct themselves or move. This is clearly something meant to limit access. prgtoken There are laws and bills that relate to admitting privileges at local hospitals, which are absolutely not medically necessary and will allow all the area hospitals to team up to deny those privileges, and then the clinic won't have a physician able to work there. There are 24-hour waiting periods. prgtoken I listened to what my colleague had to say about the blanket overturning of Roe v. Wade. It would mean, when a woman's life is in jeopardy at some point in her pregnancy, she wouldn't have the ability to save her life and her reproductive health because she wouldn't have access to abortion care. prgtoken Then to characterize this bill as extreme, in my mind, is so opposite the truth because, to me, what is extreme is forcing, say, a teen to bring a rapist's child to term or forcing a young woman to give birth to her sibling in cases of incest. prgtoken My colleague talked about the polls. I don't know what he was looking at. He was talking about pro-choice versus anti-choice. Everything I have seen shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans believes that Roe v. Wade is settled law and should remain in place and that only a small percentage believes it should be overturned in its entirety. prgtoken In going on to my prepared remarks, I rise today to join my colleague Senator Richard Blumenthal in support of the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022--a bill that would protect a woman's right to access safe abortion care throughout the United States, no matter where she lives,
SUPPORTING H.R. 1437, THE PRECIP ACT OF 2021 AND H.R. 5324, THE NWR MODERNIZATION ACT
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 1437, the ``Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation'', or ``PRECIP Act''. I also rise in support of H.R. 5324, the ``NWR Modernization Act of 2021''. prgtoken I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Representative Sherrill's bipartisan PRECIP Act. As Chairwoman of the Science Committee's Environment Subcommittee, Ms. Sherrill has been a leader in improving our understanding how to plan for excess precipitation, which can often lead to severe flooding in inland areas. This bipartisan bill is a direct result of significant stakeholder engagement to understand the needs of local governments, dam safety officials, floodplain managers, and more, who use precipitation estimates regularly. Precipitation estimates are critical for life-and-death decisions, like whether to issue an evacuation order, and also inform flood maps and zoning restrictions. prgtoken Current estimates for precipitation frequency, or precipitation atlas, and PMPs are outdated, inconsistent across the country, and infrequently updated. The PRECIP Act directs NOAA to update precipitation estimates on a regular basis, and to ensure these estimates consider the effects of future climate change. prgtoken In order to address this knowledge gap, this bill directs the NOAA Administrator to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a consensus study on best practices for estimating precipitation. These best practices will be useful for updating Probable Maximum Precipitation, or PMP, estimates. prgtoken This bill also directs NOAA to update precipitation frequency estimates, including PMP estimates, no less than every 10 years, but we encourage them to consider more frequent updates when feasible. NOAA is also required to develop a National Guidance Document for precipitation methodologies. While the results of the Academies' study should inform the development of this National Guidance Document, we encourage NOAA not to delay any updates to PMPs, and the creation of a National Guidance Document for the final study, and to undertake these activities concurrently upon enactment of this bill. prgtoken Changes in precipitation are already being felt across the country, and it is critical for our local decision makers to have the most accurate information on hand to protect our communities. The activities authorized in the PRECIP Act will take a big step forward in doing this. I want to thank Representative Sherrill for her work on this thoughtful, bipartisan, legislation and I urge my colleagues to support its passage. prgtoken I also rise in support of the bipartisan NWR Modernization Act of 2021 led by Representatives Bice and Sherrill, the Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the Environment Subcommittee on House Science. NOAA Weather Radio, or NWR, is a critical lifeline for Americans across the country. It provides continuous coverage of
VANESSA GUILLEN POST OFFICE BUILDING
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-5-10

I thank the chairwoman for bringing this bill forward, a bill that is literally very important, not just to the Guillen family but to so many constituents in my district. prgtoken I also recognize that we are in the midst of celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Vanessa Guillen's death. prgtoken Vanessa was one of my constituents before she was transferred to Fort Hood military base for her Army training. She was a rising star before her life was tragically cut short. prgtoken As Members of Congress, we have the moral obligation to honor Vanessa's memory and enact change that will end violence in our military installations. prgtoken Her story has captivated Americans of all backgrounds. It brought much-needed attention to sexual assault in the military, and it has led to changes being implemented at Fort Hood and at military bases throughout the Nation and, in fact, the world. prgtoken I will not rest until there is justice for Vanessa Guillen and her family. There is still much work that will need to be done. But the naming of a post office in her memory this year of her first anniversary would be but a small gesture on the part of this Congress in naming a post office after her to memorialize her work and her legacy.
ADDITIONAL UKRAINE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-5-10

I thank the gentlewoman for her kindness. prgtoken Dealing with the pictures that were depicted, but the stories that I heard of children sitting next to dead parents, or dead bodies, children unaccompanied, lost, orphaned. prgtoken So my conclusion is that, in addition to war, we must realize that our children are our future. prgtoken In this bill, the administration for children and families, $900 million to provide refugee support services, housing, English language, trauma and support services to help those who have been trafficked or may be trafficked, to help those who have been raped, young women and children; to deal with the Centers for Disease Control with $54 million to provide them medical support; and, of course, to be able to provide dealing with the migration and refugee circumstances that we saw in Poland that took 2 to 3 million refugees, including children. prgtoken We are standing on democracy. We are not afraid to stand with what is right, and we are not afraid to say glory to Ukraine. We want the victory for Ukraine, and we want defeat for Vladimir Putin. Regime change would be great, but we realize that will not happen, but defeat must happen. I support the supplemental. Let us stand for democracy.
Women's Health Protection Act (Executive Calendar)
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2022-5-10

. I thank Senator Baldwin for her thoughtful remarks. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the Women's Health Protection Act, and I urge my colleagues to join us in standing up for fundamental rights to freedom, autonomy, and self-determination. prgtoken Make no mistake: That is what this vote is about--who has the power; who has the freedom to decide when your own health, livelihood, and life are on the line. prgtoken There is nothing more American than the values of freedom and individual autonomy; yet the U.S. Supreme Court is about to declare that women in this country are not guaranteed the freedom to make their own private decisions about abortion. prgtoken Justice Alito, Mitch McConnell, Senate s, and radical State legislators around the country believe that they should have the power--that they know better than American women, whose lives and stories they will never know. prgtoken To that, I say: How dare they? prgtoken When I worked at Planned Parenthood, I saw firsthand the capacity of women to make good decisions about their health, their bodies, and their lives. To suggest otherwise is insulting to the dignity of women as full, adult human beings and as equal citizens of this Nation, but that is where we are. Justice Alito's draft opinion is a wake-up call and a call to action. Reading his opinion was like a gut punch, but it was not a surprise, and it didn't just happen. prgtoken This is the result of a decades' long campaign by s and their dark money donors to put anti-choice Justices on the Supreme Court, to overturn Roe, and to strip women of their constitutional rights. This is why this vote is so important. For the first time in my living memory, the Supreme Court is about to take away a fundamental constitutional right, and it is important that Americans see who is on their side and who is responsible for this. prgtoken Extremist s have been working for this goal for decades; yet, now that this moment is almost here, they keep trying to change the subject. In fact, they want to talk about anything but, including when they spread misleading information about what the Women's Health Protection Act would really do, which is to put the protections of Roe into statute. prgtoken So why are s running from this issue after having campaigned on it for years? prgtoken Well, it is because Americans don't want to overturn Roe, and anti- choice s know this. They know that they are on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of public opinion and of over half the American electorate. That is why this vote is so important. We will not let them dodge their responsibility for this outrageous attack on women's freedom. prgtoken Now, some s are saying that this is all a bit of a tempest in a teapot. They say: Don't worry. All the Supreme Court is about to do is to hand power back for the States to decide on abortion. prgtoken Colle
HONORING DR. MARK JUSTIN APFEL
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , I rise today in recognition of Dr. Mark Justin Apfel as he retires from Anderson Valley Health Center and an extraordinary 45-year career in health care in rural Mendocino County. prgtoken Born in New York in April 1949, Dr. Apfel earned an undergraduate degree at Syracuse University and graduated from medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University Norton College of Medicine. He went on to become an emergency room physician with Kaiser, serving Oakland, Vallejo, and Redwood City, California, and then a physician for East Oakland Family Health Center. In 1976, he was selected to be an emergency room physician for Hillside Hospital in Ukiah, California. That same year, Dr. Apfel began serving as a volunteer physician with a newly formed health clinic in Boonville, California, soon to become the Anderson Valley Health Center. Dr. Apfel stepped into the role of the first full time doctor at Anderson Valley Health Center (AVHC) in rural Mendocino County, where he worked for the next 45 years. prgtoken While working at AVHC, Dr. Apfel took on additional roles as an emergency room physician and medical director of palliative care for Ukiah Valley Medical Center in Ukiah, California; and he served as a staff physician at the Mendocino Community Hospital in Fort Bragg, California. This work required Dr. Apfel to commute frequently throughout Mendocino County, travelling year-round over the windy country roads that connect these communities. prgtoken In addition to Dr. Apfel's professional service to Mendocino County, he was an active prgtoken volunteer for fundraising on behalf of AVHC, and he provided medical service training for members of the Anderson Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Anderson Valley Ambulance Services. Dr. Apfel also continued to pursue professional development, broadening his expertise in palliative care. prgtoken Dr. Apfel shared his skills and knowledge with the medical community in the extended region and state through his leadership in the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, and by helping establish the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program. Furthermore, his efforts to ensure appropriate palliative medical care and end-of-life care resulted in improved access to critical information for patients and their loved ones. prgtoken Madam , the breadth and depth of Dr. Apfel's dedication and generosity of service to ensure access to affordable, high-quality, and compassionate health care in Mendocino County, the state, and Nation are unparalleled. He is appropriately regarded as a local healthcare hero, but his service and contributions extend far beyond his community. Please join me in recognizing Dr. Mark Apfel for his near half-century of good work and wishing him the best in his next endeavors.
PROVIDING RESEARCH AND ESTIMATES OF CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION ACT
Haley M. Stevens (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 1437, the Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation, or PRECIP Act. prgtoken I commend Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Sherrill of the Science Committee on her work to bring the PRECIP Act to the House floor today. This bipartisan bill is the result of significant stakeholder engagement led by Congresswoman Sherrill of New Jersey. prgtoken Precipitation data is used by decisionmakers like dam safety officials, flood plain managers, civil engineers, and Federal, State, and local officials, to build resilient infrastructure, something we care a lot about in this body, for communities. prgtoken The precipitation data is extremely important for Michiganians. This is a huge reality for us, particularly in southeastern Michigan, after record, record rainfall over the last year. prgtoken The Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments organization found that changes in precipitation in the Great Lakes region will lead to more extreme precipitation events in the State of Michigan, otherwise known as flooding, a reality all too probable to the and myself, both hailing from southeast Michigan. prgtoken These extreme precipitation events can cause flooding and can also affect lake levels, which could have severe economic and ecological impacts across my home State of Michigan and certainly across the country. prgtoken The PRECIP Act would help to modernize outdated precipitation data across the country, and the bill also directs NOAA to update precipitation data on a regular cadence. This will not only address many precipitation estimates that are currently years, and sometimes decades, out of date, it will also help local responders act when their residents need them to. It will also help local elected officials coordinate with the Federal agencies in responding to extreme precipitation events. It will also ensure consistency in precipitation estimates across the United States; as we know, precipitation events do not respect State or regional boundaries. prgtoken As we are also anticipating an increase in frequency and intensity of precipitation events due to the reality of climate change, it is critical that this bill also requires NOAA to consider future climate change while updating these precipitation estimates. This will ensure that this data remains relevant for the future. prgtoken I am deeply proud to cosponsor this bill that has both bipartisan and bicameral support. Its passage will positively impact all Americans, and I urge my colleagues in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle to support this bill. prgtoken Madam , .