mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Julia Brownley (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-3-2

I rise to offer a straightforward amendment to H.R. 3967, the Honoring our PACT Act, which would simply ensure toxic-exposed veterans have access to mammography screenings. prgtoken I would like to begin by thanking my colleague from Iowa, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks, for coauthoring this amendment which is based on her outstanding bill. prgtoken As chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, I very much want to see the gentlewoman's good bill advance, which is why I am offering this amendment today. prgtoken As you know, , the conditions related to toxic exposure manifest themselves in many ways and on many different timelines. The incidence rate of breast cancer in women veterans is 20 to 40 percent higher than the incidence rate of breast cancer among nonveteran women. From 2000 to 2015, the VA saw the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer increase by five times for women ages 45 to 65. This is partly due to better screening, but still more can be done, particularly related to those who have been exposed to toxic substances. prgtoken Ensuring that veterans have access to lifesaving screening for breast cancer cannot depend on the time after separation from the military and must simply depend on whether a veteran served in a place where they were exposed to toxins. prgtoken This amendment, based on the SERVICE Act, directs the director of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mammogram screening for female veterans who served in areas associated with burn pits and other toxic exposure. It also directs the VA to submit a report to both the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees 2 years after enactment that compares the instances of breast cancer among members of the Armed Forces. prgtoken Women veterans who served in areas with high toxic exposures should not have to wait until they start showing symptoms or reach a certain age to access preventative mammography screenings. prgtoken This is why I am proud to join Congresswoman Miller-Meeks in offering this lifesaving amendment. prgtoken , .
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-3-2

I rise today to recognize the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head, MD. They were recognized as a winner in the 2022 Federal Laboratory Consortium National Awards Program, also known as the FLC. The FLC Awards Program annually recognizes Federal laboratories and their industry partners for outstanding technology transfer achievements. prgtoken The Excellence in Technology Transfer Award recognizes employees of FLC member laboratories and non-laboratory staff who have accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring federally developed technology. prgtoken Indian Head received the award for its efforts in developing Silent Spring, a technology that desensitizes homemade explosives or HMEs. HMEs are extremely sensitive and unpredictable; a stray spark, a change in temperature, exposure to sunlight, or even an accidental bump can set them off. prgtoken Silent Spring shields volatile explosive materials from these potential triggers. This allows explosive ordnance disposal and law enforcement personnel to more safely move the explosive materials, while preserving forensic evidence and minimizing damage to existing infrastructure. prgtoken Silent Spring is now available commercially and is approved within the Department of Defense to address the highest priority EOD threats. The partnership has already provided hundreds of product units to Department of Defense explosive ordinance disposal users for demonstration and training and will soon do the same for the civilian public safety and law enforcement communities. ``This collaboration is one of many we have across the command that deliver innovative technologies to the warfighter,'' said NSWC IHD commanding officer Capt. Eric Correll. ``The faster we can get new innovative products to our warfighters and our first responder partners, the better.'' prgtoken This emphasizes the need to invest in energetics experts. The need for this experience is more apparent than ever. As foreign threats emerge, the bright minds at Indian Head have been able to meet and exceed these threats. prgtoken Indian Head does not just explore the detection of explosive devices. They also look at ways to enhance the United States' capabilities to deter foreign aggressors. prgtoken Indian Head is a premier facility that has developed ejection seats for our pilots and have developed materials that ensure that our military has the best and sharpest tools to deter our adversaries and keep the people of this country safe. prgtoken Indian Head is an unsung hero that has tirelessly worked to ensure our national security and has humbly provided to this country for over a hundred years. We must recognize the importance of energetics research in this country. Other countries are recognizing this, and we cannot ignore this. prgtoken We need to continue to invest in this research and development, these are vital capabilities that keep our aggressors at bay. prgtoken I want
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-3-2

as I speak here today on the U.S. Postal Service Reform Act, Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a cruel, unjust, and barbaric war of choice, financed by a global addiction to fossil fuels, an addiction which Russia is only too happy to exploit right now. prgtoken And the most effective way to reduce the long-term security threat to Ukraine and Europe and the United States and the whole world is to say that we are going to empty Vladimir Putin's oil-and-gas-funded piggy bank, setting ourselves and our allies on the course to a future powered by domestic clean energy. prgtoken We can use the power of our Federal Government to not only apply sanctions but also destroy Putin's dirty energy business model. prgtoken The U.S. Government has 700,000 vehicles in its fleet, and 160,000 of the U.S. Government's vehicles belong to the U.S. Postal Service. Our Postal Service could play an important role in destroying the Putin business model by committing to clean instead of dirty energy to fuel its fleet. And it should start by reversing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's short-term decision to buy dirty, new postal trucks, energy- inefficient postal trucks, gas-guzzling postal trucks. prgtoken As we import oil from Russia, we don't need a new fleet of gas- guzzling postal vehicles in the United States because if we don't get a truly next-generation electric fleet of postal trucks, we need the next generation of Postal Service leadership delivered express to the American people. prgtoken This is just the latest stop in DeJoy's disastrous postal route, and it is time for him to resign. This is just a leftover agenda from the years, this commitment to inefficiency, to the consumption unnecessarily of oil and natural gas in our country. prgtoken The Postal Service Board of Governors and the administration just can't let this bad business, bad-for-climate, bad-for-health decision stand. If DeJoy won't get rid of this decision, the U.S. Postal Service should get rid of him, especially at this moment where Russia is fueling an unconscionable invasion of Ukraine with oil money from the United States. prgtoken It is the American people who have been paying $20 billion a year for Russian oil coming into our country to put in the gasoline tanks of the United States. And then he takes that money and uses it to buy tanks and planes and weapons to invade the Ukraine. prgtoken A new fleet of electric postal trucks would receive a stamp of approval from the American people as it would lower costs, reduce pollution, and provide public health benefits while backing out the Russian oil that comes into our country every single day. prgtoken Louis DeJoy wants to claim he doesn't have the money to go electric, but that false statement should be marked ``return to sender.'' prgtoken One study found that full electrification would save the U.S. Postal Service $4.3 billion over the lifetime of the fleet. In other words,
HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Cori Bush (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2022-3-2

I thank Mr. Takano for his leadership on this historic legislation. prgtoken , St. Louis and I rise today in support of H.R. 3967, the Honoring our PACT Act, to expand healthcare, research, and resources for our veterans who are far too often exposed to toxic substances, both around the world and at home in St. Louis. This means so much to me as a nurse, I see it all the time. prgtoken I am proud to put forward four critical amendments to this legislation to help expand racial equity and study the military's environmental impact through rigorous Department of Veterans Affairs initiatives. My first two amendments ensure that VA research studies include a broader array of demographic information, including race, ethnicity, and disability status in gathering information on the impacts of toxic exposure. prgtoken Our third vital amendment ensures the VA will extend reviews of known cases of toxic exposure to military sites abroad. The Department of Defense needs to provide concrete data about the waste and pollution we are leaving in the nearly 750 military bases in over 80 countries around the world. prgtoken Finally, our last amendment adds a new study to this bill to measure the harmful health consequences of Manhattan Project waste on our veterans and their families in St. Louis. prgtoken If you are from North St. Louis there is a good chance that at some point in your life you have been exposed to toxic military waste like I have. From West Lake Landfill to Coldwater Creek, toxic military nuclear waste has been dumped in our communities, leading to rare cancers and birth defects. prgtoken Our veterans worked with this waste and are still living with it. The study is just one step we are taking to care for their health and safety. I look forward to voting in support of the Honoring our PACT Act and advancing these critical amendments that will help us to save lives.
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-3-2

I rise today to congratulate President and the significant accomplishments he shared with us during last night's State of the Union address. prgtoken Last year, together with President , we made a promise that would deliver for the people; and that we have. Thanks to our President's bold leadership and our work in Congress, we have been delivering. Let's look at a few areas. prgtoken Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. As was mentioned last night by President , in his first year, 6.7 million jobs were created, marking the strongest year of job growth in history. In my home State of Texas alone more than 37,600 manufacturing jobs were created. These are good, well-paying jobs that are putting Texans back to work. Our economy is on the rise. Wages are strong. The unemployment rate is low. prgtoken Another area is our Nation's GDP. While GDP dropped 3.4 percent in 2020, it was able to shoot up to 5.7 percent in 2021--the highest rate since 1984. Simply put, the economy has rebounded during President 's first year in office. prgtoken Another very important area to all our working families is our public schools. I am proud of the significant progress that has been made in our public schools during the President's first year. We have made huge strides in reopening our schools and keeping them open safely. prgtoken One year ago, , merely 46 percent of schools were open because it just wasn't safe for teachers, students, and faculty due to COVID. Today, 99.9 percent of schools are safely opened. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as well as the American Rescue Plan both provided schools the necessary funds they needed to stay open and make up for lost learning time. prgtoken Another very crucial area, vaccination rates. One year ago today, only 15 percent of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, today that number is 65 percent. The massive increase in vaccinations is the direct result of the President and this Congress' leadership to tackle this virus. Even today we do not have to wear our masks this morning. prgtoken Let's look ahead. Action from the administration and Congress has already resulted in significant progress on the supply chain challenges. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will improve and protect supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign oil immensely for years to come. It will help lower costs and inflation rates with time. As President said last night, the plan is to lower your costs, not your wages. prgtoken There is a lot more President and are working on in building a better America, like investments in affordable childcare and paid and universal pre-K that would allow more working families to participate in the economy. prgtoken It is those very workers and everyday hardworking Americans who deserve the greatest praise of all. prgtoken Our hometown heroes have braved through this pandemic and powe
SOCIAL SECURITY AND OUR ELDERLY
John B. Larson (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-3-2

more than 900,000 people in the United States have lost their lives due to COVID. Of those more than 900,000, 660,000 people over age 65 have been lost because of COVID. This is the same population that was not only worried and concerned about COVID, but they are the ones on a fixed income. They are the ones that rely on Social Security. prgtoken More than 5 million of our fellow Americans get a below-poverty-level check from Social Security after having paid in all their lives to the number one insurance program in the country, the number one anti- poverty program for the elderly, and the number one anti-poverty program for children. Help is on the way. prgtoken Social Security 2100, a sacred trust, as the President called it, is a bill that will uplift and raise people out of the depths of poverty and provide them with the sustenance they need in their daily lives, as Roosevelt intended.
HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-3-2

I thank Chairman Takano not only for yielding prgtoken time, but much more importantly, I thank him for the extraordinary work he does on behalf of the Armed Forces and for its veterans. He is tireless in his advocacy of veterans' interest. prgtoken I meet with him every Wednesday in the chairman's meeting. He is always speaking up about how we need to continue our focus on the needs of our veterans who served our country so heroically, whether they went overseas or not. prgtoken Some of the veterans that we are talking about today were not overseas when they contracted a disease or an illness as a result of toxic substances. They were here in America. There is a poet who says: They also serve who stand and wait ready to serve, ready to be deployed to the point of the spear. prgtoken , you and I are old enough--I don't want to be too harsh on the --but to remember the song: When Johnny comes marching home again, hurray, hurray, the boys will shout, the girls will cheer, and the women, they will all turn out. prgtoken One of the problems we have seen, though, after that cheering, that after that parade, after that exultation, is that memories are short. As time goes by, some of our veterans, sadly, tragically, and wrongfully, have been forgotten. prgtoken This bill says we do not forget. This bill says we will be there for you, and, yes, we will be there even if there is a substantial cost to it. prgtoken This is a defense cost. In my view, the veterans cost ought to be in the defense budget, and it ought to be there because that is what we are all enthusiastic about spending money on. Veterans need to be and are our first priority. prgtoken I thank the chairman for his focus and for his action. He has long been a champion of our veterans and their well-being. prgtoken I also thank Representative Ruiz and Representative Luria, who is sitting here with us, who have worked very hard on this legislation. Mrs. Luria, from Virginia, is a retired commander from the United States Navy. She and her husband commanded a ship. Dr. Ruiz has been on the front line of illness, the front line as an emergency physician, and knows full well the psychological and physical effects of toxic material to the well-being of individuals. I thank Dr. Ruiz and Commander Luria for their work on this bill. prgtoken Our veterans served with honor and routinely went above and beyond the call of duty in their defense of our Nation. Many of them risked their lives; not everybody, there were some that were support, and without their support those at the point of the spear could not have been successful. prgtoken We have a responsibility, , a moral responsibility, to care for our veterans when they return home and ensure that they receive the treatment they deserve. prgtoken When we send our servicemembers to war, when we recruit them, when we put them in a position by order and they become ill because of where they are, because of either neglige
HONORING AMBASSADOR ROBERTO R. ROMULO
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , as Co-Chair of the U.S.- Philippines Friendship Caucus, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Philippine statesman and friend to the United States, Ambassador Roberto ``Bobby'' R. Romulo, who passed away on January 23, 2022. prgtoken Ambassador Romulo graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Law. He started his professional career as an IBM marketing trainee in New York City. During his IBM career; he held marketing and management positions in New York, Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh and the Philippines, where he was President and General Manager. prgtoken In 1989, he was appointed Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Commission of the European Communities. He was then elevated to the top of the Philippines's Department of Foreign Affairs in 1992. As a diplomat, he was decorated by the governments of Belgium, Thailand, Spain, Chile, France and the Philippines. prgtoken In 1995, Ambassador Romulo rejoined the private sector and was elected Chairman of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), and Vice-Chair of San Miguel International. He was Chairman of Interpharma Investments Ltd. (Zuellig Pharma) from 1997 to 2007 and was a board member of MIH (a subsidiary of NASPERS, a South African Company) from 2002 to 2013. From 2003 to 2010, he served as an independent director of Singapore Land and UIC. Most recently, Ambassador Romulo was the Chairman of various organizations including AIG Philippines Insurance, Inc MediLink Network Inc. and Nationwide Development Corporation (NADECOR). He also held board memberships at various corporations including PLDT, Equicom Savings Bank, Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc Maxicare Healthcare Corporation, and McLarty Associates. prgtoken In 1996, Ambassador Romulo was the founding Chairman of the APEC Business Advisory Council and continued as Chairman of the Philippine representation of the Council until 2010. From 1999 to 2001, he was Chairman of the e-ASEAN Task Force. From January 2001 to January 2007, he served as pro-bono senior advisor on international competitiveness to Philippines President Gloria Arroyo. He was a Co-Founder and Trustee of the US-Philippines Society. He administered the Society's ``Carlos P. Romulo Awards'' in recognition of the contributions of Filipinos and Americans who have strengthened Philippines-U.S. ties, a core mission of the Society. prgtoken He was also chairman of non-profit foundations: the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development, which raises awareness of critical issues that significantly impact the peace and development of the Philippines and the region at large; the Zuellig Family Foundation, which focuses on improving health conditions in rural Filipino communities by providing training programs for local government health leaders; and the Asia-Europe Foundation of the Philippines, which brings together the peop
HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-3-2

, the chair of the Subcommittee on Health. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the Brownley-Miller-Meeks amendment. Women who have served in the military are 20 to 40 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women who have never served. It is believed that it is due to exposure to radiation and other carcinogens while serving. It is therefore critical that VA ensure all veterans who have served in locations associated with toxic exposure have access to prompt, high-quality breast imaging services to detect breast cancer early. prgtoken This amendment would ensure just that. Any eligible veteran who was deployed and exposed to burn pits and airborne hazards would be eligible for mammography screens by the VA. These screenings will save lives. prgtoken Furthermore, it requires VA to submit a report to Congress on the rates of breast cancer among those veterans deployed to such toxic environments and compare those rates against their veteran peers who were not exposed, as well as the civilian population. prgtoken , I urge all my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment.
HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2022-3-2

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise to support the Honoring our PACT Act, which will ensure that veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances, materials, or environments during their military service, particularly toxic burn pits and Agent Orange, will receive the care and benefits they deserve. prgtoken Exposure to these toxins has led to devastating health conditions suffered by veterans, including neurological disorders, pulmonary diseases, rare forms of cancer, and many other conditions. prgtoken In the past, the government has been too slow to recognize the link between exposure to toxic substances and the medical problems that veterans have dealt with when they returned home. prgtoken As a result, veterans and their families have been denied benefits and much-needed disability compensation to deal with the health effects of these toxins. prgtoken The Honoring our PACT Act would correct these errors and renew our solemn commitment to our Nation's veterans. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support the Honoring our PACT Act to ensure that our country fulfills Abraham Lincoln's promise to care for him and her who shall have borne the battle.
SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-3-2

. And still I rise, . And I rise on this historic occasion to compliment the chairperson and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. What they are doing today will be hailed in the annals of history as that which was necessary to help our friends in a time of need. prgtoken , those who say that if we leave the world alone, the world will leave us alone are wrong. The world will find its way to our door just as it is now because Dr. King's words are so right. Life is an inescapable network of mutuality tied to a single garment of destiny. What impacts one directly impacts all indirectly. What is happening to Ukraine directly impacts us indirectly. prgtoken We have a duty, a responsibility, and an obligation to help them and to make sure that when the final word is written, it will be said that we did all that we could to protect democracy.