mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
COMPETITIVE HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM ACT OF 2017
John Conyers, Jr. (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-3-21

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in qualified support of H.R. 372, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, but I do not endorse the majority's exaggerated claims regarding the bill's impact on the affordability and availability of health insurance. prgtoken H.R. 372 would partially repeal the limited Federal antitrust exemption for the business of insurance established by the McCarran- Ferguson Act in 1945. Specifically, the bill only permits Federal antitrust enforcement with regard to the business of health insurance. prgtoken Now, House have long supported a full repeal of McCarran- Ferguson's antitrust exemption for all insurers, not just for health insurers. In 2010, under a ic House majority, we passed legislation to repeal the McCarran-Ferguson exemption for health insurers by a vote of 406-19, even though House s had not previously supported moving any version of a McCarran-Ferguson repeal bill. prgtoken But let me be clear. Enacting H.R. 372 would in no way be a substitute for the many health insurance guarantees of the Affordable Care Act. The two things are completely separate. To begin with, enacting H.R. 372 would not significantly improve healthcare affordability or coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 372's effect on health insurance premiums would probably be quite small, and enacting the bill would have no significant net effect on the premiums the private insurers would charge for health or dental insurance. That is according to the Congressional Budget Office. prgtoken The Consumers Union observes that the application of the antitrust laws to some health insurance activity, by itself, is simply not enough to create a vibrant insurance market because our long experience shows you can't expect a healthcare system to run effectively on competition alone. That is the Consumers Union. prgtoken Likewise, the majority's claim that enacting H.R. 372 would create major new competition by allowing cross-State insurance sales is unavailing. Current law, including the Affordable Care Act, already allows States to agree with each other to allow cross-State insurance sales. prgtoken Enabling Federal antitrust agencies to police certain forms of anticompetitive conduct will not, in and of itself, incentivize health insurers to offer products across State lines beyond the incentives that already exist for offering such products. It just won't happen by itself. Whatever the incentives for health insurers to offer such products, they have little to do with Federal antitrust law or enforcement. prgtoken Finally, enacting H.R. 372 would not ensure that the Affordable Care Act's prohibitions against discrimination and limits on premium growth would remain in place. H.R. 372 only applies to certain anticompetitive conduct and does not preserve or enhance existing protections for consumers of health insurance. For instance, it doe
BRINGING DOWN THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS IN AMERICA
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-21

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) very much not only for the focus and the passion that he shows for this very important issue of trying to ensure that we have health care for all Americans, but also for the leadership he has demonstrated over the years. He and I have worked together in California on so many different issues. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act, as we know, has provided health care for over 20 million Americans. Since its implementation over 6 years ago, the ACA in my district, which is Fresno, Madera, and Merced Counties, located in the San Joaquin Valley, has decreased the uninsured rate from 22 percent to 11 percent. It is cut in half. prgtoken I have a marvelous, wonderful district that I take great pride in representing. It is one of the largest agricultural areas in the country. It has significant wealth, but, sadly, it has significant poverty. It is the combination of those two that make it a place where immigrants have come for decades--immigrants past and immigrants present--to make a better life for themselves. prgtoken , 19,000 individuals in my district have received financial assistance and have been able to purchase coverage through the Covered California marketplace, and 121,000 individuals in my district are now covered by the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. prgtoken The cuts that are proposed in this proposal would devastate those individuals not only in my district, but in Congressman Garamendi's district and throughout the valley. My colleagues, the five of us from Modesto down to Bakersfield, almost 500,000 people today have insurance coverage that did not have it 6 years ago. prgtoken Let me give you some real examples. Tom lives in Fresno, California. He is 57 years old. In 2015, due to a major heart attack, he had to leave his job of 29 years. Tom's health insurance, though, did not lapse because, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, he gained affordable health coverage insurance through the Covered California marketplace. In addition, his family wrote to my office saying that they cannot envision his recovery being a success had it not been for the ACA. prgtoken Another one of my constituents, John, who lives in Fresno, told my office that without the ACA, he and his wife would not have been able to afford cancer surgery for his wife. She is now cancer-free. And we know how expensive that can be. prgtoken Austin, one of those Americans who volunteered to serve his Nation, a Vietnam veteran who lives in my district, told my office that his wife was paying $830 a month before the Affordable Care Act. Now she can afford health care at $400 a month--cut in half. prgtoken Not every story with the ACA is a success story. It is not perfect. There are problems with the act. We should be working on it. prgtoken I remember, Congressman Garamendi, when you were the insurance commissioner of California, and one of the areas that
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1101, SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH FAIRNESS ACT OF 2017
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-21

I first want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding and for his tireless advocacy on behalf of the American people. prgtoken , I rise in opposition, first, to this terrible rule, of course, which made no ic amendments in order, but also in strong support of Congressman Polis' amendment that requires the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to score the final bill, which is the bill to take away health care from 24 million people, to score it as amended by the manager's amendment before the bill is on the House floor. prgtoken This clearly is nothing new for s, though. In fact, just 2 weeks ago, s shamefully pushed ahead with the markup of their terrible ACA repeal bill without a score from the Congressional Budget Office. And this week, on the seventh anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, s' terrible plan to repeal this lifesaving legislation will make it to the House floor. prgtoken One thing is clear. s' proposals, of course written in secret back rooms, would be a disaster for struggling families, seniors, people with disabilities, low-income individuals, the poor, and the middle class. prgtoken It would, yes, rip away health care from 24 million people, reduce benefits, increase rates for those who can least afford this, and transfer $600 billion in tax cuts to the very wealthy. That is outrageous, but it gets even worse. prgtoken Late last night, in secret back rooms, s introduced a dangerous manager's amendment that doubles down on the war on women's health and the poor, low-income, and struggling families. prgtoken Yes, once again, s are attempting to move forward with a vote on the final GOP's take away health prgtoken care from 24 million Americans, a bill that includes a manager's amendment, without an updated Congressional Budget Office score. prgtoken The American people deserve to know the full damage of this disastrous bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and support Congressman Polis' amendment to ensure that we have updated Congressional Budget Office scores before this bill is brought to the House floor. prgtoken I thank the gentleman for this amendment, and I thank him for yielding me time.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HAS IMPROVED AMERICAN LIVES
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-21

this is a monumental week here on Capitol Hill as we will decide the fate of health care in America. prgtoken Despite the evidence that the Affordable Care Act has made a positive difference in the lives of everyday Americans, s are set to destroy it. But the Affordable Care Act has improved the quality of life for tens of millions of people all across this country. prgtoken As a result of the Affordable Care Act, people born with preexisting conditions can no longer be denied health insurance. prgtoken As a result of the Affordable Care Act, young people can remain on their parents' health insurance all the way through to the age of 26. prgtoken As a result of the Affordable Care Act, women can no longer be discriminated against with respect to the issuance of insurance simply based on their gender. prgtoken As a result of the Affordable Care Act, seniors are paying less for lifesaving prescription drug medication. prgtoken As a result of the Affordable Care Act, more than 1 million people throughout this country--including in rural America--are able to receive substance abuse treatment because of them being caught up in the opioid addiction epidemic. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act has made a positive difference in the lives of everyday Americans, yet this President says it has been a disaster. This is the same President who, for 5 years, perpetrated the racist lie that was not born in the United States of America, who said that he received more votes than Hillary Clinton, who claimed that there were more people at the inauguration than in 2009. This is an individual who still maintains that his predecessor, , committed a felony and ordered a wiretap, despite testimony from the FBI Director to the contrary. prgtoken Let's be clear. What will be an unmitigated disaster is Care, which House s are working to jam down the throats of the American people. prgtoken Care, the healthcare plan, will result in 24 million Americans losing their health care. prgtoken Care, the plan, will gut Medicaid, stripping it of $880 billion, taking dead aim at seniors, the poor, and the afflicted. prgtoken Care will impose an age tax on people between the ages of 50 and 64, causing some in that category who are currently paying approximately $1,700 per year to pay close to $14,000 in age tax--on people between 50 and 64. prgtoken That is Care, the plan, an unmitigated disaster taking dead aim at the American people. It will result in tens of thousands of Americans dying. It is a death sentence. Seniors will die. The poor will die. The chronically ill will die. Rural Americans will die. People between the age of 50 and 64 will die. And the executioner will be the authors and those who support the healthcare plan.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-21

I rise in strong support of Judge Charles Breyer's reappointment to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. prgtoken Judge Breyer earned his bachelor's degree cum laude from Harvard University in 1963 and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley Law School in 1966. prgtoken In 1997, Judge Breyer was nominated by President Clinton to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Judge Breyer was confirmed by the U.S. Senate that same year by voice vote. prgtoken On the bench, Judge Breyer has served with distinction. He has done the hard work of sentencing individuals to prison terms. He has also focused on sentencing issues outside the courtroom, testifying before the Sentencing Commission in 2009 and serving as chair of a Ninth Circuit Committee evaluating the impact of the Supreme Court's decisions in Blakely v. Washington, 2004, and United States v. Booker, 2005, on sentencing. prgtoken In 2011, Judge Breyer took senior status, and the following year, he was nominated by President to serve on the Sentencing Commission. Judge Breyer became the commission's vice chair in 2013. prgtoken The Sentencing Commission is an independent agency charged with establishing sentencing guidelines for the Federal court system. The commission's work is important. It is responsible for advising and assisting Congress and the Executive branch in the development of effective and efficient crime policy. The commission also collects, analyzes, researches, and distributes a broad array of information on Federal crime and sentencing issues and serves as a resource for Congress, the Executive branch, the Judiciary, practitioners, academics, and the public. prgtoken Since the start of the 115th Congress, the Sentencing Commission has been unable to do its work because it has been with only two commissioners. By statute, the commission requires a quorum of at least four commissioners. prgtoken For this reason, it is vitally important that Judge Breyer is confirmed once again to serve on the commission. Judge Breyer is a man of distinction and integrity. He has a long history of dedicated service to this country and an impeccable record of fairness. The commission really needs his continued leadership. prgtoken Today I urge my colleagues to support Judge Breyer's nomination.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-21

today I wish to recognize the three decades of distinguished service journalist Steve Hammond has provided to the citizens of Maryland's Eastern Shore and the viewers of WBOC-TV 16 in Salisbury, MD, ``Delmarva's News Leader.'' prgtoken Steve Hammond is a Maryland native, raised in Towson's Rodgers Forge neighborhood. He learned many of life's lessons on the football and lacrosse fields before graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in mass communications. Since his mother, sister, and brother have all been involved in television production, it is no surprise, perhaps, that Steve gravitated toward the business of broadcasting and interned for several stations. He discovered he felt most at home in the newsroom and was drawn particularly to the variety of daily reporting. In 1985, after working without pay for 2 weeks to illustrate his potential value, Steve was hired by WHYY, a prgtoken PBS affiliate in Philadelphia, PA. Two years later, on March 23, 1987, he joined WBOC-TV to serve as the first bureau chief for Dover, DE. It was there that he first began to anchor news broadcasts. It was a role, it turned out, which suited him perfectly. prgtoken Today Steve Hammond is WBOC-TV's main anchor and managing editor. He has become a household name in the region, having covered countless elections, major crisis, and natural disasters. Steve has flown with the Blue Angels and interviewed U.S. Presidents. He also has filed reports from several foreign countries to tell the stories of local troops in harm's way in Iraq and Somalia. Steve is highly respected in his field and has been widely recognized, winning innumerable awards, including a prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award and distinctions from the Associated Press and Radio Television News Directors Association; yet Steve is characteristically modest about his accomplishments. If he were inclined to brag about anything, it probably would be about his beloved family--his sons Graham and Hunter, and his wife, Heather, who are his favorite companions for a day at the beach. prgtoken Steve Hammond is deeply invested in his community and has volunteered for many years for numerous charitable organizations, including Junior Achievement, March of Dimes, Easter Seals, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and The Salvation Army. He has helped spearhead The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Holiday Campaign on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees for Worcester Preparatory School in Berlin, MD, and is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Salisbury. Steve's coworkers, friends, and audience appreciate the dedication, service, and leadership he shown professionally and privately throughout his career. As he enters his fourth decade at WBOC-TV 16, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Steve Hammond on 30 years of exemplary work and community service and wishing him all the best in the years
TRUMPCARE IS A TERRIBLE BILL
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-3-21

this week s plan to vote on Care to push 24 million Americans off healthcare coverage and saddle families across the country with massive health costs. Care is an assault on families and a broken promise to the American people. prgtoken Twenty-four million people will lose their health insurance. It will terminate the assistance that people depend on to afford quality coverage. It will destroy the Medicaid program, the bedrock of our social safety net for more than 50 years. prgtoken Medicaid covers 74 million children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors with long-term care needs. Under Care, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs will skyrocket and families will be exposed to crushing health costs. Premiums will rise dramatically-- particularly, for older Americans--because Care allows insurance companies to charge five times higher than what others pay for the average, five times higher for our near senior citizens. This means thousands and thousands of dollars more in premiums, which low-income seniors cannot afford. prgtoken Care shortens the life of the Medicare trust fund by 3 years and cuts $880 billion from Medicaid. prgtoken , this is a terrible bill, and it puts the entire healthcare system at risk.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-3-21

later today the Senate will vote on H.J. Res. 69, and I am here to state as strongly and emphatically as possible my opposition to this misguided and unwise measure. prgtoken As a Senator who fights to preserve and protect the vast diversity of American wildlife and honor the natural beauty of our Nation's great refuges, I urge my colleagues to reject the effort to revoke a commonsense rule of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This rule of the FWS is designed to prevent the use of cruel, unsporting, and inhumane killing methods on Federal land. It is really that simple, and repeal of it is an outrage. prgtoken Proponents of H.J. Res. 69 have attempted to frame this debate as an effort by the Federal Government to usurp State power, but that argument is simply absurd. The rule at issue is about Federal management of Federal land, Federal control over land owned by the Federal Government, pure and simple. The rule, which took effect in September, does not restrict subsistence hunting or normal hunting practices. It does not imperil public safety or impede on defense of property. It simply prevents brutal, cruel, barbaric hunting methods that target vulnerable bears, wolves, and coyote from occurring on lands that were intended to provide refuge for these animals. ``Refuge'' is the key word. prgtoken This resolution subverts the judgment of professional wildlife managers to adopt sensible wildlife management actions that are based on the best available science. If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule is undermined, any State would be permitted to allow egregious killing methods on these wildlife refuges, which is the one category of Federal lands specifically set aside to benefit wildlife. That is its singular purpose. prgtoken I will oppose this legislation because I believe in preserving our Nation's natural ecosystem and the constitutional responsibility of the Federal Government to manage Federal lands for all citizens and prevent the inhumane treatment of our Nation's most iconic wildlife. prgtoken This rule bans the killing of wolves and their pups at their den sites in springtime when they are most vulnerable. It bans the killing of sleeping black bear mothers and their cubs while they are hibernating in winter--not exactly fair sport and certainly damaging to our environment. The rule also bans the baiting of grizzly bears, which involves the use of toxic, rotting food or grease to lure and acclimate bears to a certain area so that trophy hunters can get a point-blank shot. It prohibits the use of traps such as steel-jawed traps or snares, which cause animals to suffer injury as they fight the trap or even slow and painful death from starvation or exposure. It prohibits using airplanes and helicopters to scout, land, and shoot brown or black bears. These practices are not only cruel and inhumane, they are really unsporting and have no place in a civilized society. prgtoken This resolu
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-3-21

due to my participation in a meeting with President at the White House, I was unable to vote on Roll Call 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, and 135. Had I been present, I would have voted: prgtoken Roll Call 129: ``Nay'' prgtoken Roll Call 130: ``Nay'' prgtoken Roll Call 131: ``Nay'' prgtoken Roll Call 132: ``Aye'' prgtoken Roll Call 133: ``Nay'' prgtoken Roll Call 134: ``Aye'' prgtoken Roll Call 135: ``Aye''
CELEBRATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-3-21

I, too, am excited to celebrate the signing of the Affordable Care Act signed by President . prgtoken In the hearing last Thursday of the Budget Committee, we noted that Medicaid that provided health insurance in this bill, now the Care bill, will be cut $880 billion for working people, for seniors in nursing homes, for the blind, and for the disabled. prgtoken We note that this meaningless Care amendment, for which the President is now rallying his troops, coming up to the Hill two and three times--maybe he will be here tomorrow--is as meaningless as the first part of it was: 24 million Americans will lose their insurance-- Care will double that amount in 2026; 52 million will not have insurance--giveaways to billionaires, 1 percent of the rich people in America; and destroying 2 million jobs. prgtoken But what I am most concerned about is my constituent in the Heights who could not take her medicine before the Affordable Care Act. Tragically, a young woman had a stroke and a heart attack and now is in a nursing home. She uses the health insurance of Medicaid, $880 billion, to provide for her lifeline, but yet Care comes to destroy that. prgtoken I want to celebrate the Affordable Care Act because it saves lives.
TRUMPCARE IS A TOTAL DISASTER FOR AMERICA
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-21

Care--a total disaster for America. Here it is by the numbers, per our own nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office: 24 million Americans will lose coverage, with 14 million Americans losing coverage in year one; 15 to 20 percent increases in health insurance premiums in year one; and if you are paying $1,700, you will be paying $14,600 in premium increases if you are a 64-year- old making $26,500 per year. prgtoken But where does the money go? $592 billion in tax cuts for the rich. That is where it is going. prgtoken The conclusions: Care robs health care from American working families to give tax cuts to the rich. prgtoken So vote ``no'' on Care to vote ``yes'' on health care for America's working families.