macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman for his correction. My point would be. is it not okay then for your patients to use the health savings account but also okay for those who still may not have the resources to go into an exchange? Arent we trying to do the same thing. which is to make sure everyone of all means available can in fact have insurance?
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee for yielding to me. To follow up what my colleague also from Texas and on Energy and Commerce talked about employers dropping insurance. that is why we need these insurance exchanges. Even before the Affordable Care Act. employers were dropping insurance for their employees or making it cost prohibitive for them to cover themselves. So that is why we need the exchanges. Here they are defunding it today. and H.R. 1213 would repeal the section of the Affordable Care Act that provides funding for the creation and facilitation of Statebased health insurance exchanges. Those are not government insurance companies. Those are private sector exchanges. During the health reform debate. the Republicans spent most of their time saying health reform would limit the ability to tailor their own health care systems. The Affordable Care Act would ensure States would have the ability to create their own health insurance exchanges. meet the health care needs of their State. and still provide consistent basic health coverage nationally. We provided States with planning grants to come up with proposals on how they will run their health insurance exchanges so States will run their own exchanges rather than the Federal Government doing it. Yet here we are today stripping the ability of the States to run their own health insurance exchanges by eliminating those planning grants. just another example of the hypocrisy of the Republican Party. This is yet further political messaging by the Republican majority in an attempt to defund health reform. They are playing games with funds dedicated to our States. forcing them to spend their own money when State budgets are already limited. The majority has the wrong priorities. and I think the American people know it.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman for yielding. What is it about the Republican Party that insists that its mandate in Washington. D.C. is to keep the American public away from affordable health care? First. they start by ending Medicare so that senior citizens who retire will have to pay much more for their health care than they would otherwise. Those on Medicare. because theyll be closed in. an aging population. their health care costs will continue to go up in the future far beyond their ability to pay. They have decided that theyre going to raise the price of prescription drugs to senior citizens. They have decided that theyre going to decrease the access of young people to health care by not providing for schoolbased clinics. health care clinics. Theyve decided theyll roll back preexisting conditions to prevent women from getting coverage of health care. young children from getting coverage of health care from life- threatening diseases that they were born with. What is it about the Republican Party that they dont want people to have access to health care in this country thats affordable? They dont mind them being in the lottery. If they can find it and afford it. maybe they can have it. But if they cant. its tough. So now we come to a time when they said they dont want onesizefitsall in Washington. The States should have a right to set up the exchanges. The States have an option: they can set up an exchange or not set up an exchange. Some 49 States have stepped forward and said. We want a right to customize the exchange for the purposes of the people we represent. the nature of our State. the economy of our State. the age of our State. We want to do this. [- 1440 And now theyre saying. well. thats good. but were not going to give you any money to plan to do that. So what are they doing. according to CBO? Theyre now threatening. once again. the access to affordable health care for 50.000 or more Americans. So theyve threatened the access to health care for women. Theyve threatened the access to health care for children. Theyve threatened the access to health care for seniors. Theyve threatened the access to health care for those who are about to become seniors. They just cant stop doing this.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

They want to say theyre just repealing the health care bill that was passed. Theyre just repealing that. No. what they are doing is theyre standing in the way. the very same rights that they have as Members of Congress to have a federally setup exchange for Federal employees where policies pass muster. that you get real value if you buy one. Whether you buy a health savings account or whether you buy a plan for your family or for an individual. you get real value. You get access. The rights they have as Members of Congress. once again theyre stepping into the breach to make sure that their constituents wont have that right at the State level because when there are no State exchanges. they wont have that right. Its a really strange view of their obligations to the American public. to working families. to children. and to seniors. And its a real strange view about their position of privilege that they would have all of this for themselves but not for their constituents.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. today we are considering yet another bill in the Republican majoritys efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. H.R. 1213 would repeal the funding from the Affordable Care Act for States to establish competitive and transparent insurance exchanges. This legislation will gut meaningful health insurance reform. A critical piece of the Affordable Care Act was to allow States to create insurance exchanges that will allow individuals and small businesses to comparison shop for affordable and quality health insurance coverage. just like what Members of Congress can currently do through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Many statesincluding Marylandhave already used Federal funding to set up these exchanges. Repealing this funding would have negative consequences for States and consumers. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. without Federal assistance. fewer States will be able to establish an insurance exchange. and the establishment of the exchange. enrollment and operations will be significantly delayed. Mr. Chair. I urge my colleagues to oppose this misguided legislation.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. listening to the general debate. I would have to say that I am concerned and not supportive of this legislation and would hope that we would vote against the underlying bill. But I have an amendment that I believe my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would appreciate. and its very simple. This amendment will provide the public with important information about mandatory funding to States for health benefit exchanges that will no longer be available for the public and small businesses to use in order to obtain competitive health coverage for their necessary health care. post the moneys that are rescinded. and let the public judge for themselves: Good health care or not. This particular amendment deals directly with the concern that we dont have the ability to move forward on health exchanges that will help the vast numbers of Americans. For example. the American health benefit exchanges make it easier for small businesses and the public to obtain competitive health insurance on the basis of price quality rather than to be subject to the abuses of insurance companies who would charge exorbitant. prohibitive rates. The health care exchange program is a key element of the Affordable Care Act. aimed at providing coverage to the uninsured. There are 6.2 million residents in my home State of Texas that do not have health care insurance. Of the 26 percent of the Texas population that is uninsured. 18 percent are children. Insurance exchanges would also be available to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Texas is home to nearly 400.000 small businesses employing less than 500 people and nearly 2 million selfemployed entrepreneurs. Letting everyone know that we are making a good dent in the deficit. which we can do in many. many other ways. will also show them why I dont have good health care. Meaning. why dont small businesses and farmers? So at this time. Mr. Chairman. I would ask that my colleagues support an amendment that is transparent to let you know what the savings are. But whats the question? Whats happening to the accelerating rate of health care and the sick people who are getting sicker? With that. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

actually strengthens the arguments in favor of passing H.R. 1213. the bill before us today. Section 1311 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provided the Secretary with an unlimited amount of money with virtually limitless discretion to spend on establishing exchanges or what activities could facilitate enrollment in what are known as qualified health plans. Giving the Secretary a blank check to spend is an abdication of our responsibility here in the House of Representatives. This blank check also makes it impossible to implement the Jackson Lee amendment. There is no dollar figure for how much the Secretary can spend on this program. It is simply an unknown unknown. The Secretary could decide tomorrow to spend another $100 million or another $100 billion. In 2013 the Secretary could take the advice of CMS and funnel money into any amount of activities. Congress and. for that matter. the general public wont know that until the money is spent. I think the gentlelady from Texas has good intentions with her amendment. Unfortunately. because Congress decided to leave it entirely up to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary alone to determine the amounts of money that can be spent. the amendment does not work in this circumstance. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman from Texas. But he well knows that we have had mandatory appropriations. and it is not difficult to indicate what money you are allegedly saving. So if the American public can juxtapose those socalled savings on the backs of the elderly. losing Medicare of course. on the backs of sick families and sick children. and to see how we can stop the normal primary medical care that you would get for children that are in need that these health exchanges would provide. and as well neonatal care for children who are born prematurely. this is what the Republicans would like us to do as we eliminate our health exchanges. Frankly. he should look at what has already happened. Fortynine States. including the State of Dr. BURGESS and myself. the State of Texas. have applied for funding for health exchanges. And so to stop in the middle and suggest that you are now impacting the deficitno. you are killing and losing and indicating that you want to close down the good health care that we are trying to promote. Insurance exchanges would also be available again to small businesses. and Texas is home to nearly 400.000 of them. The Kaiser Foundation says 23 percent of the Texas population lives in poverty. They would be able to participate in these exchanges. I would make the argument that its good to put how much money you are allegedly saving so you can see how much you are losing by all the sick people who would not have care. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank my good friend from Texas. and he has made my argument because the Secretary of Health and Human Services can explicitly state the funding that might be used. In addition. isnt it interesting that this is being repealed on the basis of savings. and yet the Republicans cant explain whether there are going to be any savings or not. At the same time. sick people are going to get sicker. And in my State. 444 people out of every 100.000 have cancer. Of the population. 9.3 percent are diabetic. 32 percent are overweight. and they will not be able to have the coverage. I am going to ask my colleagues to vote on a sensible amendment. Show us what you are going to save. Let it be put on the Web site. Let the American people see it. And explain why you would rather put these dollars on while you raise the cost in an unbelievable way. And because of the fact that people will not have insurance. they will get sicker and sicker and sicker and sicker. God forbid if we take out Medicare and all the seniors will wind up being sick and lose their lives as well. I reserve the balance of my time. [- 1510
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. let me just say that. if H.R. 1213 passes. it will severely harm cashstrapped States who cannot afford to establish the health benefit exchanges which. by the way. will help people of all backgrounds. and particularly our small businesses. our farmers and. yes. the children that youve seen on these posters. I ask my colleagues to support this important amendment. Show your cards. If were saving money. let it be on the Web site. and let us compare those savings against the thousands and millions of individuals who will be blocked from having health exchange opportunities. While some of us will have savings accounts. others will have nothing. absolutely zero. Vote for the Jackson Lee amendment to really show the cards of what happens when you cut out and repeal health care coverage for America. Mr. Chairman. I would first like to state my clear position that I am adamantly opposed to H.R. 1213 and its Repeal of the Mandatory Funding Provided to States to Establish American Health Benefit Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. The funding for American health benefit exchanges curbs insurance company abuses. saves lives and saves money. If H.R. 1213 to Repeal Mandatory Funding Provided to States to Establish American Health Benefit Exchanges Provided under Section 1311(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is enacted into law:
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to H.R. 1214 and its impact on our Nations schoolchildren. Schoolbased health centers have enjoyed wide bipartisan support because they ensure students are healthy. Healthy students are ready to learn. and in these centers. children can get health services when they need them. Children cant learn when theyre chronically sick. when they have a toothache. when they suffer from other dental diseases or when they suffer from chronic health problems. For too many children. a schoolbased health center may be the only opportunity to receive needed care. This is particularly the case with oral health. Tooth decay is the most common disease among schoolchildren. and 80 percent of the time this disease occurs in children who have problems accessing care. Thats why schoolbased health programs are so important. and thats why the American Dental Association is a strong supporter of this program. States also believe that these centers are critically needed. Indianas Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction recently testified before the Education and the Workforce Committee that districts are prioritizing schoolbased health centers because "they have made a difference in the lives of those children." Schools in Indiana are not alone in realizing the need and value of schoolbased health centers. In my district. West Contra Costa Unified has two operational schoolbased health centers and four in development. The legislation before us today could essentially halt the development of these health centers by repealing the critical construction and renovation funding made available by the Affordable Health Care Act. This funding is critically important to these schools so that they can provide these centers. The Federal Government shouldnt randomly yank the support for schoolbased health centers. It should be letting the school districts make the decisions based upon their identified needs. This bill is nothing more than a continuation of the attack against the beneficiaries of the Affordable Health Care Act. Whether the beneficiaries are senior citizens or whether theyre young children. we ought not to support this legislation.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. I rise in opposition to this legislation that would eliminate funding for schoolbased health centers. Schoolbased health centers provide muchneeded health care services to vulnerable children and adolescents. including primary care. mental health. dental. vision. and nutrition services. They not only help improve childrens health. but also help improve the academic performance of students. Schoolbased health centers are a winwin for the student. but also for parents and the community. By repealing funding for schoolbased health centers. we will be taking away a health care optionand perhaps the only health care optionfor low income children and their families. Without these centers. we will not be building a foundation to promote and advance preventive and wellnessbased care that will help save health care costs over time. Mr. Chair. I urge my colleagues to oppose this misguided bill.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chair. I rise in opposition to H.R. 1214. which repeals a provision in the Affordable Care Act that provides funding for the construction of school health centers. It also rescinds any unobligated funds that have already been appropriated to this program. The Majority has said their top priority is job creation and getting our economy back on track. This legislation is yet another example of the Republicans misplaced priorities. If the Republicans cared about job creation. they would support school based health cente rs. Schoolbased health centers started in the 1970s with the first centers opening in Dallas. Texas. and St. Paul. Minnesota. Today. there are approximately 1.700 centers across the country located in 45 states plus the District of Columbia. In Texas. there are approximately 85 schoolbased health centers. Most of these centers are located in a permanent facility on a school campus. The centers provide primary care. mental health care. and dental care. The reason these schoolbased health centers are so important to working families is because they support families. They allow parents to stay at work while attending to their childs routine health care needs and they save money for our economy as a whole by keeping children out of hospitals and emergency rooms. Once again. the Republicans are claiming they support helping our working families and yet again we are cutting another service that helps keep parents at work and children healthy. I strongly oppose this legislation.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: In section 1. add at the end the following:
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me make the point that in earlier debate today. the Chair allowed me to reserve. and so I take issue with the ruling. And what is the basis of the ruling? The Acting CHAIR. Under the 5minute rule. the gentlewoman has to use her time or yield back her time. She may not reserve her time.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Can I have an explanation as to why I was allowed to do so previously? The Acting CHAIR. The Chair would tell the gentlewoman that the Committee is operating under the 5minute rule and the time is not controlled.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

So to my parliamentary inquiry. the answer is that were under the 5minute rule? The Acting CHAIR. That is right.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me just indicate that schoolbased clinics represent a source of homeland security. and in fact what we will find is we will stop States in their tracks for trying to provide the kind of health care not only for the children going to school every day to be able to protect them. but also in a longrange effort. Does anyone remember HINI? I do. because I went to my schools where there was an epidemic of HINI. And we had it all across the Nation. We were panicked. I will tell you that schoolbased clinics can be a source of relief for children either coming to school with infections or some devastation coming about. I would ask my colleagues to support this very simple amendment which gives to the American public the reason why we shouldnt cut these funds. Cutting funds. killing health care. Cutting funds. killing health care. Support this very thoughtful amendment that provides you with the reason for us being able to support schoolbased health clinics. for homeland security. for the ability to evacuate and be secure in times of disaster and. yes. to take care of the millions of children and respond to the States that are not Democratic or Republican who have 350 applications on the record. I ask my colleagues to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I would first like to state my clear position that I am adamantly opposed to H.R. 1214 and its repeal of the important mandatory funding for SchoolBased Health Center Construction Prevention and Public Health Fund created under the Affordable Care Act. The funding saves lives and saves money. If H.R. 1214 to repeal mandatory funding for SchoolBased Health Center Construction provided under Section 4101(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is enacted into law:
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I just rise to thank the gentleman from Texas for accepting this amendment. I think it shows that though we may have positions that differ on the underlying legislation. this is an initiative for transparency. and it will help explain to the American people. Let me also conclude by saying that it should be very clear that this funding is not used for health care. in particular. on personnel. But it is to build the structures that will provide and protect children to be able to have these clinics. more access to health care for communities. and a source and site to be able to protect people who are impacted by natural or manmade disaster. With that. I would ask my colleagues to support this legislation.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chair. I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII. further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas will be postponed.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am delighted to have the opportunity to be on the floor for such an important issue and joined by my colleagues. I am holding the time until the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana