macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-09
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

I want to thank Chairman RYAN for engaging the House in this very important process. Mr. Chairman. we are talking about real alternatives and routes we can take for the future of this country and for the future of our children. As a father to a 17yearold daughter and twin 13yearold boys. writing the fiscal path of this country is the reason that I ran for the opportunity to serve in this institution. Part of serving in this institution is creating a vision for Americas financial future. This budget balances. Putting a budget on the floor of the House and putting forth a vision for Americas fiscal future that balances is something that we need to do on a regular basis. It is sad that I had to fight for a provision to be put into this bill called No Budget. No Pay. As we know. the Senate will not take this budget process up. and they shouldnt be paid. I fought for that proposal because. if Members of Congress are not willing to put in the work to help balance our countrys checkbook and fulfill their constitutional duties. they should not be paid. For hardworking taxpayers. this budget allows you to keep more of your paycheck while. again. balancing our budget. Compare that with the Presidents budget. which we will have a chance to vote on this week. I would urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to vote "yes" on the Presidents budget if you think it is the future for America. but that budget raises taxes by more than $1 trillion. and it never balances. We have got a clear choice here. For our seniors. this budget ends ObamaCares raid on Medicare. and it puts seniors back in charge of their health care decisions. This budget also preserves Medicare for our current seniors. and it ensures that this vital program is available for all future generations. For our students. this budget guarantees Pell grants for those who dream of going to college but need a little help. Right now. the program is estimated to become insolvent by 2016. Every year we dont have a plan. we risk the future of millions of students and contribute to the rising cost of tuition. As someone who represents nine universities and colleges and eight community colleges in my district. having no plan is unacceptable. For our veterans. this budget maintains advanced appropriations to ensure veterans still receive their benefits. regardless of what happens in Washington. Additionally. this budget would dedicate another $400 million to veterans programs. I did not come to Washington sit idly by and remain content with the current state of our Nation. I came here to make Washington work and provide the hardworking taxpayers of Illinois 13th Congressional District with a better vision for America. This is a better vision for America. Mr. Chairman. And the attacks will come. Dont let the attacks get in the way of the facts.
Date: 2014-04-09
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Well. thank you. Mr. COLLINS. As you know. you and I served together and had a great relationship there in Georgia. where Democrats and Republicans worked together to balance the budget and solve the problems. and I sure wish we could get to that up here. Tonight. we are here to talk about an issue that affects us all as well. and that is transparency in pharmacy pricing and highlighting the need for our rural pharmacist. our community pharmacist. and the challenges that they face with Medicare Part D programs. Just recently. I met with a pharmacist from my district. Mr. Daryl Reynolds. and like many other pharmacists from the Eighth District. he runs a small store and has been hurt by the lack of transparency and pricing. Ultimately. that hurts his patients because it makes it hard for him to stay in business. While the big pharmacy chains want to operate in the metropolitan areasand that is wonderfulwe in the rural parts of the country need our rural and community pharmacists. and pharmacists like Daryl are a vital component of our national health care system. for those of us who live great distances from the metropolitan areas. They know us by name. They know our drug interactions. They are able to work with us and our physicians. They make sure that we are taken care of and that we are taking the right medications for the problems that we may have. In order to continue these relationships. we need to make sure that the Medicare Part D plans that they work through to help our seniors have the pricing transparency with pharmacy benefit managers. In many cases. our community pharmacistsbecause of the way the pharmacy benefit managers operateare reimbursed at less than what the drug actually costs the small community pharmacy. These contracts are nonnegotiable. They are vague and opaque. and most of the time. it puts a small community independent businessman up against a multibillion dollar company. These PBMs and their maximum allowable cost prices. they dont update them when the prices go up. and that leaves the pharmacist paying more. again. for the drug than they actually get reimbursed for the drug. and these are the pricing practices that need to be fixed for our community pharmacists. I am here tonight with my colleague from Georgia to bring light to this issue. CMS recently proposed rules that would take an important step in addressing this need for generic drug pricing transparency. How can transparency be a bad thing for Medicare Part D? The rule simply requires that Medicare Part D sponsors should agree in. their contracts with CMS. to update the prices in a timely manner to reflect the current market price. In rural districts like mine. access to a community pharmacist is critical for people to receive the medications they need. It is imperative for the health and wellness of our rural communities. I want to commend you. Mr. COLLINS. for your legislation. I look forward to working with you to pass that and thank you for being here tonight on behalf of community pharmacists.
Date: 2014-04-29
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. on rollcall No. 180 I was unavoidably detained and did not finish meeting with Chancellor Phylis Wise in time to get to floor. Had I been present. I would have voted "yes."
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the Cherry family from Girard. Illinois. as they prepare to retire from Cherrys IGA. a familyoperated business for more than 100 years in Macoupin County. Illinois. Cherrys opened in 1908 as the Girard City Meat Market. owned by Clarence Cherry. as an extension of his family farm located only 1 mile away from the store. In the 1950s. the store turned into a fullservice grocery store under the watch of son. Phil Cherry. In 1987. Phils son. Jim. took over the store and has owned it to this day. It is hard to overstate the importance of a local grocery store and what a strong local grocery store can mean to the residents of a small community like Girard. For more than 100 years. the Cherrys were more than just small business owners. they were friends. community leaders. and public servants. The Cherrys embodied all that is great about this country. and they achieved the American Dream. So congratulations. and thank you to the Cherry family and enjoy your wellearned retirement.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. last week we learned that the IRS paid out more than $1 million of taxpayerfunded bonuses and other awards to more than 1.100 employees who owe back taxes. That is outrageous. This bonus scandal comes at a time when the IRS is under fire for targeting Americans based on their beliefs and amid reports that reveal IRS workers broke the law by engaging in political activity on the job. Simply put. the IRS is out of control. IRS employees are failing to comply with the very laws they were hired to enforce. Worse. it further proves that Washington doesnt respect nor care how Americans hardearned tax dollars are spent. It is time for the IRS to respect hardworking American taxpayers. and that is why I am introducing a commonsense bill to prohibit the IRS from providing bonuses to tax delinquent IRS workers. I urge my colleagues to join in this effort. It is the right thing to do.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. on rollcall No. 197 I was unavoidably detained. A meeting with constituents went longer than expected. Had I been present. I would have voted "yes."
Date: 2014-05-08
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. many of you may not be aware. but this week is National Nurses Week. I am honored to be able to stand on the floor of this great institution to talk about the nursing profession. what nurses mean to our health care industry and what nurses mean to each and every one of us when a family member is being treated at a time when we need the most compassion. we need the best care. and a nurse is the one who steps into that room and offers that compassion and offers that care on a daily basis. I have a special place in my heart for nurses because my wife. Shannon. is a nurse. somebody who not only has served patients in their home. on the hospital floor. at the beginning of life and at the end of life. she has also helped teach the next generation of nurses. We. in Washington. hear constantly about a nursing shortage in this country. and we. in Washington. need to remember that it is up to us to enact policies and programs that are going to encourage more young people to go into the nursing profession. I want to honor all nurses this week during National Nurses Week because I want to recognize the hard work that they do and the impact they have. not only to the nursing profession. but to America as a whole. Whether it is the support nurses provide at major hospitals throughout my congressional district in central and southwestern Illinois or in smaller. critical access hospitals that provide some of the most localized care in places like Staunton. Illinois. Clinton. Illinois. Litchfield. Hillsboro. and even my hometown of Taylorville. they are vital to the success of not only the health care industry they serve. but to the health of the patients that they are trained to care for. As baby boomers continue to retire. ensuring that we have enough educated nurses should be one of the priorities of this institution that I mentioned earlier. We should continue to support funding for nurse education programs at all of our universities. colleges. and hospitals. so that patients can continue to receive the quality care that they are used to in our health care delivery system. So happy National Nurses Week. and thank you to my wife Shannon and to the nearly 3 million other registered nurses for all that you do for the health and wellness of our country. A special thanks to my wife. Shannon. I love you.
Date: 2014-05-08
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. for nearly 2 years. House committees have been investigating the terrorist attack in Benghazi that killed four brave Americans. These committees have done good work. However. many questions remain unanswered as the White House continues to stonewall our efforts by withholding information. National Review editors recently summed it up best: The White House misled the American public about a critical matter of national interest. and it continues to practice deceit as the facts of the case are sorted out. That. to answer Hillary Clintons callous question: What difference does it make? The administrations obstruction and dishonesty are unacceptable and warrant a new level of investigation. Creating a select committee to investigate this tragedy is long overdue. and with a former Federal prosecutor such as TREY GOWDY at the helm. it gives me great hope that Americans and the families of the victims will hear the truth and see accountability. They want. need. and deserve no less.
Date: 2014-05-09
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Thank you to my colleague from Florida for yielding time. and thank you for your leadership on this issue. First. I want to commend my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce CommitteeChairman KLINE. Ranking Member MILLER. and all of those who serve on that committee on both sides of the aislefor their work in crafting this bipartisan bill that promotes quality charter schools. Mr. Chairman. my district is located in central and southwestern Illinois. and we are fortunate to have many effective public schools and also charter schools. including the public schools that my three children attend in Taylorville. Illinois. Successful charter schools can partner with public schools and give children at all levels. in many of the areas of our country. more opportunities to receive the quality education they deserve. In over the last decade. charter schools have more than doubled in number and now serve. roughly. 2.6 million students. As this number continues to grow. we must make sure charter schools are also like our public schoolsaccountable and transparent to the taxpayers and. most importantly. to parents. The amendment I am offering. along with my colleagues. would do just that by requiring charter schools to collect the same data required of public schools by our States. Additionally. our amendment ensures this information is made public. so parents can make the best decisions for their students. I want to thank my colleagues for their work on this amendment. and I. again. thank Chairman KLINE for his leadership on this issue.
Date: 2014-05-14
Speaker: PAT ROBERTS (republican)
Chamber: S

Republican Senator of Kansas. has also worked with me. as well as with Senators ENZI and SCHUMER. on a revision to the R&D credit that isnt available to firms. mostly small businesses. that pay the AMT. so we changed that as well. Both of these provisions have been adopted into the tax extender package. I also wanted to mention the first one I referenced. the Startup Innovation Credit Act. was also supported and has been moved forward with contributions by Senators RUBIO. BLUNT. STABENOW. MORAN. and KAINE. This is a terrific way for us to find a path forward for companies that are still too early in their development to pay employment taxes but to use a fix that allows them to claim the R&D credit against employment taxes when they arent yet paying income taxes. This kind of credit has been used before in States such as Iowa. Arizona. New York. Connecticut. and Pennsylvania. And they have been game changershelping new firms to open their doors. to hire more workers. and to keep their doors open. By allowing companies to claim the R&D credit against either the AMT or their payroll tax obligations. we dont pick winners and losers and we dont focus on a specific area of the economy or technology. What we are doing instead is supporting any private sector firm that invests in research and development. It means cash in the pockets of small startup companies. which can make a critical difference. especially when financing and credit are tight. Together. these bipartisan proposals can do a lot to put more Americans to work today unleashing the innovations that will create the jobs of tomorrow. I believe the Federal role in research and innovation is fundamental. It is also bipartisan. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their partnership and collaboration. I specifically thank the chair of the Finance Committee Senator RON WYDEN for his leadership in ensuring that the tax extenders package is available for us to consider now on the floor. that these provisions were included. and for his support for moving forward on these vital jobcreating proposals. Now lets work together in this Chamber to move across the finish line and get the job done so America can get more of our best people to work. I thank the Chair.
Date: 2014-05-20
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Chairman SHUSTER for his leadership on this very important piece of legislation. I think when you saw the committee pass this bill by a voice vote and the overwhelming margin with which it passed this House. that is a direct result of Chairman BILL SHUSTERs leadership. So. thank you. sir. I obviously rise in support of this WRRDA conference report. As a member of both the farm bill and the WRRDA conference committees. it is really good to see Congress come together in a bipartisan way to pass very important pieces of legislation. This agreement is going to create infrastructure jobs and provide opportunities that will make our country more competitive. This WRRDA bill includes my publicprivate partnership language. which was introduced along with my colleague CHERI BUSTOS as an innovative way to fund water and navigation projects. This agreement is also going to help us improve navigation along the Mississippi River in times of high and low water. I want to thank my colleague
Date: 2014-05-20
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Madam Speaker. I want to thank Chairman GOODLATTE for his leadership. and the committee and all of those who have stood before me and will stand after me to discuss this important issue. I am proud to rise in support of the SAVE Act. It is one step that brings us closer to our goal of ending domestic and international trafficking. and protecting and helping the victims of trafficking. Last week. I hosted a human trafficking summit in Champaign. Illinois. to give my constituents the opportunity to speak directly with and learn from experts on this important issue. It was humbling to hear the personal story of a survivor. Mrs. Aubrey Lloyd. and see the passion of those offering services to help victims of this horrible practice. As a husband and the father of a 17yearold daughter. this issue is deeply personal to me. Aubrey talked about how one night. she was doing her French homework. got in an argument with her mother. went to a friends house and wasnt able to return home because she had become a victim of human trafficking. Aubrey was 16 at the time. That could be any child in America today who is held against their will. Congress is choosing to look directly at this issue and do our part to raise awareness and offer concrete solutions to end this abhorrent practice. Somebody else who joined us that day is Chris Baker. Chris has a ministry that removes tattoos. removes brandings of sex trafficking victims. Aubrey still had hers. Chris reminded me of a quote by William Wilberforce. where he said: You may choose to look the other way. but you can never say again that you did not know. Lets work together to end this abhorrent practice.
Date: 2014-05-20
Speaker: HERRERA BEUTLER (republican)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I thank the chairman. There is no faster growing form of organized crime in the world than human sex trafficking. and unfortunately. it is happening right here in the United States. More than 100.000 girls are caught up in sex trafficking every year in the United States. Just last month. my local paper reported on a couple being charged with prostituting a 17yearold girl who was under their control. As you have heard today. that is hardly an isolated story. We are here not just to discuss the problem. but the solutions. We are seeking to disable Web sites like backpage.com that advertise children for commercial sex and make it a Federal crime for a company to knowingly post advertisements for sex with minors. These bills will also increase funding for services to victimsthese girls are victimsand give prosecutors better tools to go after the traffickers. We cannot close our eyes and pretend this crime does not exist. We must take responsibility and be the voice for these children and defend those who cannot defend themselves.
Date: 2014-05-21
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today. not only as a Member of Congress. but as a veteran and former prisoner of war. demanding answers on behalf of my fellow veterans. Recently. reports surfaced that regional VA employees had secret lists to hide the lengthy wait times for patients. which may have resulted in the loss of lives of some of our veterans. This is unacceptable. Our men and women in uniform serve their country admirably. risking their lives to keep us safe and protect our freedoms. They deserve the highest standards of medical care available. Last week. I urged the VA inspector general to investigate alleged misconduct at three VA clinics in Texas. We need answers and accountability for any wrongdoing. A fellow POW in Vietnam etched the following on a prison cell. He said: Freedom has a taste to those who fight and almost die that the protected will never know. Veterans know that. That is why we owe them our deepest gratitude and the best possible care.
Date: 2014-05-21
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I also rise in opposition to the amendment of my colleagues from Kansas. Our military has three workforces. We have the uniformed. we have the civilian. and we have the contractor. All three are vital to the national security of this country. The defense workforce must be managed in what makes the most longterm sense for both the mission of national security and the taxpayer. This amendment would prohibit the insourcing of contracted services. even when it would make sense for the taxpayer and would save money. By disrupting the Department of Defenses management practice. this amendment would impair military readiness. The Department did not ask for this proposed change. and it is against this amendment. I believe that this amendment is bad for the longterm security of the Nation. and I would ask that you oppose it.
Date: 2014-05-29
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize a great friend of mine and a great friend of agriculture. Murray Wise. Farming and agriculture have always played an integral role in Murrays life. He grew up on his parents grain and livestock farm and even acquired his first farm before attending college. After graduating early from Iowa State University. Murray continued to show his commitment to agriculture through his first job with Allied Mills. Incorporated. and his second with The Sandage Companies. And. now. years later. Murray is the chairman and CEO of Murray Wise Associates. a leading authority on land marketing based in Champaign. Illinois. In 2 weeks. Murray will be honored as Parkland Colleges V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year. I cant think of a more deserving individual than Murray to receive this prestigious award. Murray is recognized not only for his years of hard work and education but also for his innovative ideas and position as a national leader in agriculture. Congratulations. Murray. on this incredible achievement. and I look forward to working with you for years to come on behalf of the agricultural communities in central Illinois. Congrats again. Murray.