macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Its extraordinary how many times we have to point out that the Republican budget before us today contains the Medicare savings that were first demagogued last fall during the Presidential campaign. We hear them attacked here on the floor of the House by our Republican colleagues. and yet theyre in the Republican budget. In fact. theyre in this Republican budget. And whats more. their budget wouldnt balance without them. which is why they cannot have it both ways and claim their budget is in balance and theyre getting rid of ObamaCare. Now. while theyre keeping the savings. they are getting rid of all the important benefits in the Affordable Care Act that will provide more affordable health care. which will make sure people cant be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. will make sure that kids can stay on their parents insurance policy until theyre age 26. For 3 years in a row. weve had a bill from our Republican colleagues called Repeal and Replace: repeal ObamaCare. but replace it with something else that provides affordable care. Three years. Weve never seen replace. There is no replace. You can look through the Republican budget. Theres no replace. Just like for 3 years they tell us theyve got a tax reform plan thats going to magically provide these big tax cuts for people and not hit middleincome taxpayers. Not one piece of paper out of the Ways and Means Committee in 3 years. So. Mr. Chairman. its a little tiresome to continue to hear people criticize savings that we achieve without touching beneficiaries. which our colleagues include in their budget and which extended the life of the Medicare trust fund by more than 8 years. I now yield 11/2 minutes to somebody who knows a lot about the importance of Medicare and Social Security. the gentlelady from Illinois. a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I now yield 2 minutes to another terrific new member of the Budget Committee. the gentlelady from New Mexico
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the Republican budget plan. This misguided and cruel plan abandons the economic recovery. It is a path to greater disparity. and it protects the affluent while further squeezing the middle class. We cannot afford this Republican budget. According to the Economic Policy Institute. it will cost us 2 million jobs in 2014. This is on top of the 750.000 jobs we will lose this year due to sequestration. The Republican budget attacks the various industries where the largest job growth should be occurring. We need to invest in critical infrastructure like the health care system as a key way to create jobs here at home and protect our most vulnerable. According to a 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics study. the health sector is going to be the leader in job growth throughout the rest of this decade. Unfortunately. the path once again chosen by Republicans in this Congress will put job growth in jeopardy. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the budget plan under consideration cuts $2.5 trillion from health care by 2023. How? It turns Medicare into a voucher program and it block grants Medicaid to States. This will force health care providers to cut jobs and to reduce services to their patients. With an aging population that will require greater care. we should be investing in critical infrastructure like health care and other programs like disease and care management. which have and will continue to reduce spending in Medicare. So lets be clear: this budget wreaks havoc on health care systems in this country. it hurts patients. and it devastates future job growth in the health sector. Lastly. this plan also chooses to arbitrarily balance the budget in 10 years. which is harmful to our fragile economy and middle class families. The notion that 10 years is the magic number to balance the budget is ludicrous. It is similar to telling mortgage holders who are responsibly paying their mortgage that. instead of having 30 years to pay it off. now they have 10. Would they be able to? Many of them would end up losing the house. That is exactly what the Ryan budget does and why. to the Nations budget and to our economy. it puts us under water. Instead. I would encourage all of my colleagues to support the Van Hollen substitute. which is a balanced approach that leads to job creation and is the right way forward.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I yield 11/2 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont. whos been very focused on these budget issues. Mr. WELCH.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. under our budget proposal. the deficit is dropping rapidly. but we also address the jobs deficit so that we make sure more people get back to work. With respect to the Medicare trust fund. I would just point out the Affordable Care Act. ObamaCare. extended the life of the hospital trust fund by 8 years. And if Republicans did what they said they want to do. which is repeal it. they would shorten the life of the trust fund to 2016. But even though they dont want to tell us. they apparently have kept that in. I now yield 11/2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut who has worked so hard to make sure that college is affordable to students in this country. Mr. COURTNEY.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond to a couple of things that were just said. The first is that when President Obama was sworn inin fact. before he even put his hand on the Bible a little more than 4 years ago. we were losing over 700.000 jobs every month. The economy was actually spiraling downward at a faster rate than it was at the time of the Great Depression. And thanks to the resilience of the American people and the emergency actions taken by the President and others. we stopped the free fall. we turned the corner and there have been 36 consecutive months of private sector job growth. more than 6.4 million jobs created. We didnt get any help from our Republican colleagues when we had to make tough decisions to prevent the total collapse of the economy. Now that weve seen some momentum in the job market. we have a Republican budget thats going to put the brakes on that growth. Thats according to the Congressional Budget Office. By the way. their budget includes the assumption of those continued sequestration levels into the next year. Lets talk about China for a minute. I got a letter the other day from the CEO of a major biotech company. Heres what he said. He said that over the last couple of years because of the reduction in our national investment in science and research. he laid off 1.000 people. And because of the continuing sequester. theyve imposed a hiring freeze right now. Those are jobs that now will not be created that would have been otherwise if we hadnt had the Republican approach to the sequester. You know the real kick? I heard Mr. DUFFY talking about China. Theyre hiring people in China. Not because of lower Chinese wages. but because China has decided to make science and health care funding a national priority. In other words. the Chinese are copying the secrets to our success. things that help our economy grow. things that are slashed in the Republican budget. Did I say "slashed"? Yeah. Because they cut that portion of the budget by more than two times the sequester. Thats a fact. If were talking about competing with the Chinese or the Indians or the Europeans or anybody else who is out there. one of our global competitors. lets not allow them to borrow the secrets of our success while were ignoring them here at home. I now yield 2 minutes to a terrific new Member of the Budget Committee. someone who has been focused on and leading a lot of our antipoverty efforts. the gentlewoman from California
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield myself such time as I may consume. The President has been crystal clear. His top priority is to grow the economy. to put more Americans back to work. to strengthen the middle class. to have rising middle class wages and upward mobility in this country. By attacking the jobs deficit. we can also bring down the budget deficit because we know from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that more than half of our deficit this year is due to the fact that you still have a lot of people out of work who are looking for work. which is why its so counterproductive to adopt the approach that our Republican colleagues do. By not replacing the sequester. the Congressional Budget Office tells us we will lose hundreds of thousands of jobs just by the end of this calendar year. and those jobs are the most important things to be available to help strengthen the middle class and lift people out of poverty. But in lifting people out of poverty. its also important to provide a little bit of support that they can stand on as they climb that ladder of opportunity. Unfortunately. this budget cuts into a lot of those legs on that stool of support. and nobody understands this issue better than our colleague. So she may respond. I yield 30 seconds to the gentlelady from California
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. lets be very clear. If you give States onethird of the amount of money that they are currently getting from Medicaid and ask them to do the same job. which is what this budget would do just 10 years from now. and increasingly down that path. you will. as the nonpartisan. independent Congressional Budget Office said "reduce access to care." Thats the bottom line. With respect to the voucher program. premium support. again. I dont really care what label you attach to it. the impact is the same. If you want to achieve the outyear budget savings that our colleagues claim to achieve. youve got to put a cap on that amount. which is what their plan would do and which makes it entirely different than the plan we have for Members of Congress and Federal employees. and the plan that most people in the private sector have as well. As this red line shows. the amount of support you would get would drop dramatically relative to rising health care costs. and thats why we dont call it premium support because it doesnt provide support. I now yield 112 minutes to the gentlelady from Texas . a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for his leadership. and I certainly thank the Budget Committee for the work that they have done. Id make the argument that clearly we have a dilemma in focus and commitment and direction. I call the other budget the budget that has a sense of lacking of what people truly need. The Democratic budget is a budget that speaks to what people need. and it cares about people. It also cares about family economic security. Under the budget that Mr. RYAN is offering. the Republican budget. 3 million Texas seniors will see Medicare end as they know it. 50 million seniors across America. But frankly. this is the real key on how the GOP budget really works: $500 billion in their socalled balancing is taken from the Affordable Care Act in the fiscal cliff deal. Thats how they say they reached budget. so that means theyll undermine millions of Americans who will not have health care. Thats the budget that does not concern itself with family economic security. Then if we want to look again at the idea of safety net programs. rather than giving Americans an opportunity to stand on their own feet. the Republican budget literally cuts the programs that help reduce poverty. So it is not one that cares about economic security for our families. Then. Mr. Chairman. if you want to really see what works. it really works when we talk to the top 2 percent.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

When you look at the tax rate under President Clinton. that was 39.6 percent. and we created 20.8 million jobs. The Republican budget is a jobs killer. Then you have where we had a 35 percent tax rate. and you lost 580.000 jobs under George Bush. Heres the Democratic budget. the Van Hollen budget. We focus on creating jobs. We replace the sequester. 750.000 jobs. reduce the jobs deficit by 450.000. and our total net is 1.2 million net jobs. Family economic security is the Van Hollen budget. I ask my colleagues to vote for the Democratic budget.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. let me just say a word about the health care provided in the Affordable Care Act. That means that you can stay on your parents policy until you are 26. so if you have a terrible accident the family is not bankrupted. That means that if you have preexisting conditions. you are not denied coverage by the insurance companies. We keep hearing. "repeal all those benefits and some day we will get around replacing them." We have heard that for 3 years. There is nothing in this budget about replacing. I think the majority leader asked the right question: Which budget grows the economy? And I would just like to read from what the majority leader said on the floor of this House last year about the sequester. Here is what Mr. CANTOR said: Under the sequester. unemployment would soar from its current level up to 9 percent. setting back any progress the economy has made. Then he cites a study showing that 200.000 Virginian jobs are on the line. Well. guess what? The Republican plan leaves in place the deep sequester cuts. That is why by the end of this year we will see 750.000 fewer jobs. including a lot fewer jobs in Virginia. as
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I now yield 2 minutes to a terrific new member of the Budget Committee. the gentleman from New York
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to a new Member of Congress. who is on the Veterans Committee. the gentleman from California
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Chairman. the Republican House budget merely shifts health care costs to families. It makes no attempt to bend the curve to lower health care costs. and the voucher program for Medicare will only mean that seniors will be paying more for health care. by some estimates as much as $5.900 per person. and thats why the AARP and other independent organizations that track health care benefits for seniors are so opposed to it. I now yield 7 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from the Great State of Maryland. ELIJAH CUMMINGS.
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Maryland. JOHN DELANEY. a new member of the Joint Economic Committee. And may I inquire how much time remains on our side?
Date: 2013-03-19
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman. the Democratic budget has its priorities in the right place. It puts people and jobs first. The Democratic budget makes the numbers work for everyone by taking a balanced approach that includes not only cuts. but badly needed revenue. And the Democratic budget has a vision for the future that aspires to have this country lead the world in education. energy. innovation. and quality of life. It makes investments. and that means it takes some risks. But it also is a budget that confidently proclaims we are still the country of big dreams. high ideals. and limitless opportunities for everyone who is willing to work hard. play by the rules. and do their fair share. I support the Democratic budget. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-03-20
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

As cochair and cofounder of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues. I rise today to celebrate the 192nd anniversary of Greeces declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire. Against incredibly difficult odds. the Greeks defeated one of the most powerful empires in history to win their independence. Following 400 years of Ottoman rule. in March 1821. Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the traditional Greek flag at the monastery of Agia Lavras. inciting his countrymen to rise up against the Ottoman army. The bishop timed this act of revolution to coincide with the Greek Orthodox holiday celebrating the Archangel Gabriels announcement that the Virgin Mary was about to give birth with the divine child. Bishop Germanos message to his people was clear: A new spirit was about to be born in Greece. The following year. the Treaty of Constantinople established full independence for Greece. New York City is home to one of the largest Hellenic populations outside Greece and Cyprus. Astoria. Queens. which I have the honor of representing. is often called "Little Athens" because of the large Hellenic population in that neighborhood. New Yorkers celebrate Greek Independence Day with a parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. which I have been honored to participate in year after year. Marching sidebyside with my GreekAmerican friends. I have always been overwhelmed by the warmth and enthusiasm which the community has brought to New York City. These events remind us of the HellenicAmerican communitys many contributions to our Nations history and culture. The friendship between America and Greece is based on mutual respect. a commitment to common goals. and a sharing of fundamental values. especially ensuring stability in southeastern Europe. I hope permanent solutions can be found for ending the divisions of Cyprus and finding a mutually agreeable name for the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. I know that the Greek independence movement was an inspiration to the American independence movement. and we have learned so much from our Greek friends. I have introduced. in many Congresses. an important resolution with my caucus cochair. Representative Gus BILIRAKIS. This resolution urges Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the ecumenical patriarch. It was my privilege to meet with the patriarch last year. and I know that he is negotiating with the Turkish government for the return to Halki. the Greek Orthodox seminary. of the right and independence to educate their priests and to restore their lands to them. I want to say that I ask all of my colleagues to join me and Members of Congress in celebrating Greeces independence. It is also my sincere pleasure to pay tribute to New Yorks HellenicAmerican community for its many contributions to our great country. Zeto e eleftheria. Long live freedom.
Date: 2013-03-20
Speaker: NEGRETE MCLEOD (democrat)
Chamber: H

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the onset of the Iraq war. As our troops return home. many still face a high unemployment rate. The statistic is higher for women veterans. One remedy to this abysmal unemployment rate is education. However. for many veterans. the opportunity to pursue the necessary education is difficult because of economic constraints. family responsibilities. or lack of information about available Federal resources. Similarly. many college campuses struggle to provide veterans with these resources. That is why I introduced my first bill this week. called the Veteran Excellence Through Education Act. This bill creates a competitive grant program aimed at helping college campuses that serve underrepresented populations and provides academic and related support services for all enrolled veterans in these schools. My district has many nearby schools with a growing veteran student population that would benefit from this bill. such as Cal Poly Pomona. Cal State San Bernardino. San Bernardino Valley Community College. and UC Riverside. Education is a future investment. It is our obligation to assist veterans with job training and economic opportunity in return for their service to our country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Date: 2013-03-20
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the only comparison between these budgets were debating and whats going on in Europe is that the Republican budget proposes the same Europeanstyle austerity approach that many European countries tried. and as a result. theyve seen their economies slip back into recession. We want to avoid slowing down economic growth in this country. which is why were really glad that the gentleman from South Carolina brought this particular budget proposal to the floor of the House. and we hope he will vote for it. With that. I yield 2 minutes to a terrific member of the Budget Committee. the gentlelady from Florida .
Date: 2013-03-20
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I will just ask our colleagues to take a look at the latest analysis put forward by our own Congressional Budget Office. the professionals. the referees here. What they tell us is that half of the deficit in this year is as a result of the fact that millions of Americans are still looking for work. Threequarters of the projected deficit next year is for the very reason. which is why we get to the heart of the issue. by going after the jobs deficit and then reducing the deficit in a balanced manner over a long period of time. The issue isnt whether we reduce our deficits dramatically. it is how we do it. We call for a balanced approach that. yes. asks the very wealthy people to get rid of some of their special interest tax breaks which our Republican colleagues concede they have. but get rid of them in part to reduce the deficit. Our colleagues refuse to take one penny from closing tax loopholesnot oneto help reduce the deficit. Theyll only do that to help finance tax breaks for higherincome individuals. So. Mr. Chairman. we focus right now on jobs. growing the economy. and a balanced approach to deficit reduction. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-03-20
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. our budget focuses first and foremost on jobs and getting the economy growing. It does balance in the same time that the Republican budget last year balanced. And unlike the Republican budget. the main one. we do not give tax breaks to the folks at the very top financed by increasing taxes on middle class taxpayers. I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California
Date: 2013-03-20
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I think the American people know full well that the best way to attack the deficit right now is to help put more Americans back to work. Thats the sense in this country and thats what all the numbers show from the Congressional Budget Office. If you take the austerity approach recommended in either this budget or the main Republican budget. we know from the referees. the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. that well see 750.000 fewer jobs just by the end of this calendar year. We also know youll see 2 million fewer jobs next year. which is why we say lets focus on the jobs deficit and address the budget deficit in a sustained way where we bring it down in a balanced way. where we ask for shared responsibility and not another round of tax breaks for the folks at the very top. And yes. we achieve balance in the same year the Republican budget last year achieved balance. but our priority is getting the country fully back to work. We also believe that when we put together these budgets. we shouldnt pretend that you can have it all ways. And as I have said repeatedly. the Republican budget. including this RSC budget. is based. on the one hand. on the claim that it gets to balance in 4 yearsone. in 10 yearsbut at the same time that theyre repealing ObamaCare. and that just is not the case. It doesnt add up. So if youre in a race to fake balance. then you should vote for this one because it gets to fake balance in 4 years instead of 10 years. But if youre in a race to put America back to work. you should vote for the Democratic plan. I yield back the balance of my time.