macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII. further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia will be postponed.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute is as follows: Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following:
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. this amendment labeled Price 2 is an important amendment. important substitute. It is important for our colleagues. it is important for the Members of this Chamber. and it is important for the American people to know the differences between this amendment and the substitute amendment that we just talked about. There are two changes in this amendment. two changes in this substitute. This is an important debate. The first change is that. in this substitute. we increase global war on terror spending from $94 billion in fiscal year 2016 to $96 billion in 2016. an increase of $2 billion in the global war on terror. The second change from the underlying resolution is that we remove the requirement for an offset of any of the funding in the global war on terror. Mr. Chairman. this is an absolutely vital substitute amendment so that the House can work its will. so that the Members of the conference are able to stipulate and say what they believe is to be most appropriate. Regardless. the level of spending for defense is north of the Presidents. The level of spending for defense when you look at base spending and global war on terror spending is where it needs to be to assist our men and women in accomplishing the mission. So. significant changes. yes. but changes in a positive direction to be able to make certain that this House is able to adopt a budget. work with the Senate to come forward with a unified budget. So I am pleased to offer what has become known as Price 2. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again. Mr. Chairman. the misinformation and outright errors are phenomenal. The fact of the matter is the gentleman knows that it is the Ways and Means Committee that handles tax reform. It is not the Budget Committee. What we do is lay out a path to be able to allow the Ways and Means Committee to come up with a positive. progrowth tax reform. That is the plan that is laid out in this budget. I would be so concerned about the gentlemans comments about getting to balanceI dont buy a thing that he is saying about our balance because we do get to balance within less than 10 years by reducing spending by $5.5 trillion. I would be concerned about his statements if I believed for one second that the other side thought that getting to balance was even important. The fact of the matter is that they dont. In fact. their budget never. ever. ever gets to balance. nor does the Presidents. So the crocodile tears that I see on the other side about us allegedly not getting to balance just is absolutely not credible. And what we request of Federal employees is that they be treated exactly like folks in the private sector. That is what the American people think is fair. appropriate treatment for all Americans. not favorite treatment. not picking winners and losers. like the other side enjoys doing. I am so proud now to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . who is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. a gentleman with whom I have worked closely over these last 10 or 11 weeks on this budget and for whom I have the utmost respect for his positive contributions to our Conference and to our Nation.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. may I inquire as to what amount of time remains on each side? The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Georgia has 31/2 minutes remaining. The gentleman from Maryland has 31/2 minutes remaining.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the great State of California . the majority leader.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chair. my friend on the other side talks about the two budgets that we have before us. and I would remind him. as the majority leader did. about the debacle of 2010 when no budget came. So we would say that two budgets are better than none. I continue to be saddened. though. by the politics of division of our friends on the other side. dividing Americans. pitting Americans one against the other. In order for their vision to be true. one would have to believe that the government doesnt take enough of the American peoples money and that the government isnt big enough. Those are the things you have to believe to believe that their vision is correct. Let me set the record straight on a couple of items that have just been brought up: One. our budget allows for over $300 billion in spending on innovation and research over the next 10 years. Our budget provides for a Medicare program that is guaranteed for all seniors. and with greater choices for those seniors. Our budget provides for a path in terms of infrastructure to actually find real money for transportation. not just painting a rosy picture for folks. And our budget believes that health care ought to be controlled by patients and families and doctors. not by Washington. D.C. What we do is responsibly lay out a plan for a healthy economy. an opportunity economy. one that opens doors for people. doesnt subject them to the dictates of Washington. D.C. You see. we believe in America. and we believe in Americansall Americans. We understand our problems are significant. There is no doubt about it. Mr. Chairman. We hear the people of this Nation crying out. crying out for leadership here in Washington. This Balanced Budget for a Stronger America will result in a government that is more efficient and more effective and more accountable. one that frees up the American spirit. that of optimism and enthusiasm to do great things and to meet great challenges. I ask my colleagues for their strong support for this Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. I encourage a "yes" vote on the amendment and a "yes" vote on final passage. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I want to thank all of my colleagues for their work on this. Budgets arent easy things. clearly. We have navigated some interesting times over the past couple of weeks. But I want to thank my colleagues for their wonderful and remarkable support. I especially want to thank the staff on the Budget Committee. both the majority and the minority staff. They worked tirelessly to get these work products forward. So I just want to say before all the Members of the House of Representatives how proud I am of the staff work that has been done. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Madam Chair. it has been said that budgets are about visions and that they are moral documents. and they are. What is our vision? We believe in promoting the greatest amount of opportunity and the greatest amount of success for the greatest number of Americans so that the greatest number of American dreams can be realized and doing so in a way that demonstrates real hope and real compassion and real fairness without Washingtons picking winners and losers. Many of our friends here on this floor have talked about budgets being moral documents. and they are. Let me ask. Madam Chair: Where is the morality in trapping disadvantaged people in a web of welfare programs that discourage selfsufficiency and. instead. shackle them to government dependency? Where is the morality. Madam Chair. in committing retirees to a health coverage program that is going bankrupt and that cant keep its promises if its socalled protectors keep blocking reform? Where is the morality. Madam Chair. in forcing lowincome people into second rate health programs in which many cant get appointments and in which doctors are grossly underreimbursed by the government? Where is the morality. Madam Chair. in stifling medical innovation and preventing new treatments from reaching patients because of everexpanding Washington bureaucracy and red tape? Where is the morality. Madam Chair. in tying college students to years of crippling debt because of a governmentrun program loan that drives up tuitions? Where is the morality in heaping trillions of dollars of debt onto future generations to finance todays government spending because todays policymakers refuse to stop overspending? Those are only a few examples of the regrettable consequences of wellintentioned. governmentsponsored compassion. This Republican budget aims to break that pattern. It is not about cutting programs. It is about saving and strengthening programs to ensure a sustainable safety net for those who need it while encouraging and helping others to sustain themselves. the most truly compassionate thing that one can do for another. That is the morality of this budget. What does this budget do? It balances in less than 10 years without raising taxes. It reduces spending by over $5.5 trillion. It repeals ObamaCare and the Independent Payment Advisory Board. It ensures a strong defense. It makes sure that we save and strengthen and secure Medicare and Medicaid. We restore federalism and provide greater opportunity and greater choices for individuals in our States across this Nation. and we cut waste and corporate welfare. These are positive solutions for the American people. A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. I encourage a "yes" vote so we can get the economy rolling again. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 27.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. by all accounts. President Obama seems hellbent on striking a nuclear deal with Iran. a deal that would hurt our national security interests and sell out our proven ally and friend. Israel. Lets be clear: Iran is a foe. not a friend. Just consider: last week. Irans supreme leader said "death to America". the regime has blood of American soldiers on its hands. and Iran is working overtime to expand influence in the region. Mr. Speaker. Iran is determined to be a nuclear power. period. Unfortunately. the President seems intent to ignore the majority of American people who believe this deal would not prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. Mr. Speaker. the President is going rogue. That is wrong. He needs to stop. Nothing less than our national security is at stake.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: MIMI WALTERS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 2. the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. which is a bill to repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate. This bill presents an historic opportunity for Congress to end the doc fix and comprehensively reform the Medicare physician payment system once and for all. SGR has been broken for over a decade. and Congress has passed a temporary patch for this law 17 times. The price of putting off a permanent fix has cost the taxpayers almost $170 billion and has masked the insolvency of Medicare. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Mr. BURGESS legislation to repeal SGR would save $900 million over the next decade. compared to freezing payment rates for physician services. After a decade of Congress patching the flawed SGR formula. it is finally time to permanently repeal and replace the system once and for all. I urge my colleagues in the House and in the Senate to pass this bill and finally fix the doc fix.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: JOHN FLEMING (republican)
Chamber: H

as well as those in this Chamber who have come together to make this historic step today. So this is about helping our seniors. This is about taking those first reforms permanently to save Medicare. And it really is about ending a formula and a reimbursement that simply works against our seniors. The flawedthey call it the "sustainable growth rate." it dictates huge cuts to our physicians through Medicare. Congress had to intervene 17 times in recent years to stave off these cuts with shortterm fixes. This flawed formula regularly threatens access to care for seniors and really distracts Congress from making real reforms that are needed. The bipartisan agreement that we face today would repeal that SGR once and for all and replace it with a valuebased system that provides certainty to our seniors and. really. finally reimburses doctors not on the number of procedures but on the quality they provide. and determined not by Washington but by our local physicians and practitioners themselves. This reform alone. if that was the only thing this did. is significant. It begins to move its way from that flawed feeforservice system. And it does in a way. The sole practitioner in rural Pennsylvania. as well as a doctor in a major institution in downtown Houston. can both practice to their highest capability and continue to practice until they decide to retire. not until Medicare or some flawed formula encourages them to retire early. In addition. this bill has two important reforms. and I think critical reforms. to strengthen the Medicare Program and offset the costs of this measure. Similar reforms have been included in the House Republican budget for years. This is a bipartisan effort to work together with absolute dedication to make sure Medicare is around for our seniors. First. it restricts first dollar coverage in Medigap plans. These are bipartisan recommendations experts believe will help reduce unnecessary costs and really strengthen programs over the years. Second. the agreement includes increased means testing for premiums in Medicare parts B and D. our doctors. and our medicines. with the wealthiest seniors paying higher premiums. And then there are savings from a broad range of other healthcare providers. I want to make clear. this bipartisan reform alone will not save Medicare. but it takes us in the right direction for the very important first step. and the savings from this will grow over the long term. The alternative we refuse to pass is yet another cycle of shortterm fixes. leaving behind bipartisan structural reforms to Medicare and delaying the opportunity to actually save this program for our seniors. So. today. we end the SGR. we begin the important reform. and we stand up for seniors who need to see doctors. With that. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 10) providing for the reappointment of David M. Rubenstein as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Res. 171. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I send to the desk a concurrent resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today on a motion offered pursuant to this order. it adjourn to meet at 1 p.m. on Monday. March 30. 2015. unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in H. Con. Res. 31. in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.
Date: 2015-04-14
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina . another member of the Budget Committee.
Date: 2015-04-14
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Well. as I await one of our Members who is heading to the floor to share his concerns about the motion to instruct. let me just revisit. once again. the positive solutions that we have put forward in our budget. This is a balanced budget for a stronger America. It is a budget that gets to balance within a 10year period of time and does so without raising taxes. It recognizes that the American people have realized not the full glory of ObamaCare yet. but they have seen enough. And they recognize that it is harming not just their health care. it is harming the economy. So we repeal all of ObamaCareyes. all of it. taxes. regulations. mandates. all of itand we do so. again. not just because it is harming the economy. but. as a formerly practicing physician. I can tell you it is harming the health care of the American people. We eliminate the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Mr. Speaker. as you know. that is the 15member panel that was prescribed for by the Affordable Care Act. by ObamaCare. that stipulates to physicians whether or not they are going to pay the doctor for services rendered to seniors not just before the fact of the care being provided. but after the fact. harming the ability of seniors to be able to access quality care in this country. We provide for a strong national defense. the resources necessary for a strong national defense. and do so at a level above the Presidents level. We secure our future in the area of Medicare and Medicaid and provide an idea for how we make certain that the Social Security disability trust fund does not go broke and moves forward in a positive way. We restore the issue of Federalism. increasing choices and opportunity for the American people at the local level. whether it is in Medicaid or nutrition assistance or in the area of education or other programs. And then finally. Mr. Speaker. we cut waste and corporate welfare and improve accountability. We do so by ending the practice of Washington picking winners and losers. We call for reform for the regulatory system so that we increase transparency and efficiency and effectiveness and accountability. It is a positive solution. a positive solution that the American people have been crying out for. They have been crying out for not just solutions here. but leadership here in Washington. My colleagues on our side of the aisle have talked about how enthusiastic they are about the opportunity to have the Senate and the House come together. come together for a positive solution in the area of budget process and budget activity. So I am pleased that the gentleman from Maryland brought the motion to instruct forward. As I say. I reluctantly have to oppose it because I think it compromises and ties the hands of individuals within the conference committee. I urge a "no" vote on the motion to instruct. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. in 1979. Social Security began to use rules to help decide who should receive disability benefits. A lot has changed since then. and. yet. believe it or not. Social Security continues to use the same rules from 1979. It is time Social Security caught up. That is why. today. I am introducing the Guiding Responsible and Improved Disability Decisions Act of 2015. which would require Social Security to update its rules. This bill is. simply. common sense. The American people want. need. and deserve a disability program that works. and they expect Social Security to make consistent and accurate decisions when determining who should receive benefits. On behalf of Americas hardworking taxpayers. I urge my colleagues to join me in bringing Social Security into the 21st century.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: HERRERA BEUTLER (republican)
Chamber: H

Today is tax day. April 15. and one of the things that I wanted to bring to the attention of Congress. really. is the amount of waste and abuse that takes place not just within the bloated Federal Government. but within the IRS. I serve as the vice chair of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government of the Committee on Appropriations. In this last goaround. we reducedor cut. actuallythe IRS budget by about $100 million to $300 million. The IRS Commissioner was before us to tell us that that is too much. it is too much. it is too much. the sky is going to fall. we are not going to be able to process returns. we are not going to be able to give taxpayers assistance. But what needs to be told on this floor. Mr. Speaker. is that the IRS sends out tens of billions of misapplied or fraudulent paymentstens of billions. This has to stop. It is not an issue of not making sure that people pay their taxes. I am all for making sure that things are applied fairly and equitably. but we have an obligation of responsibility to make sure that money is spent appropriately and efficiently or safeguarded. It is not our money. I just wanted. today. to take the opportunity to recognize the hardworking moms and dads. individuals across this country who have written their check to Uncle Sam. and they expect us to be good stewards of their hardearned dollars. There are a few bills we are working on this week I urge this body to pass. Whether it is balancing the budget or making sure that we eliminate the death tax. we will have our opportunity to make sure that we are holding the Federal Government accountable.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: CHARLES BOUSTANY (republican)
Chamber: H

the former chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. And now. on a bipartisan basis. folks have come together. So I want to congratulate Mr. MEEHAN for the procedure by which this has now been expedited and the expectation that people will be fairly considered and fairly reviewed and that they wont be stuck in a culdesac with no way out.
Date: 2015-04-16
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. before my time in Congress. I owned and operated a small independent insurance agency for about 20 years. I was also fortunate to spend a number of years working with my grandfather on a small cattle farm that we owned and operated. Through both of these experiences. I have experienced firsthand how the Tax Code can make or break a small business or family farm and how the death tax. in particular. is very harmful to farms and businesses and the families who own them. Often. the death tax would force families to pay their tax bill by selling vital equipment. laying off loyal employees. or selling the farm or business entirely. These are hardworking Americans who work from generation to generation to build these farms and businesses that are the backbone of our communities and our country. Instead of incentivizing pursuit of the American Dream. this tax shuts down our local tractor dealers. peanut farms. and grocery stores. which is why I applaud my colleagues for joining me in repealing the death tax for family businesses. farmers. and American citizens not just in Georgia. but across this great country.