mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING BETSY A. CODY
Grace F. Napolitano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-5-25

we rise to honor the long career of public service provided to the Congress of the United States by Betsy A. Cody of the Congressional Research Service there is no issue that Members of Congress disagree on more than western water policy. The very complicated details of western water policy have the ability to not only divide us by party, but they divide us by state and even by regions within a state. One of the few things that all Western Members do agree on is our deep gratitude for the invaluable expertise we have received from Ms. Cody over the past 30 years. We are happy that she is moving on to a much deserved retirement this month, but we will greatly miss the reservoir of knowledge that she has provided to our offices. Betsy's non-partisan research, analysis, and policy advice has been the foundation for the water debates and legislation that the Congress has produced over the past 30 years. Betsy's talent is that she is able to break down these very complex issues involving historic water rights, agriculture, endangered species, infrastructure, precipitation patterns, interstate disagreements, federal programs, and many more intricate subjects quickly and concisely. Betsy is famous for her western water briefings for new Members and staff, her ``In-Focus'' fact sheets that simplify complex pieces of legislation, and the hundreds of in-depth research memos and reports that she has produced over the years. Betsy's best trait, which is something she shares with her colleagues at the Congressional Research Service, is that her research and advice is not political or biased. Betsy is trusted by both sides of the aisle for being fair and impartial, which has been demonstrated in her five times testifying before committees in both houses Ms. Cody exemplifies what Adams, Jefferson, and later La Follette had envisioned when they created the Library of Congress and the Legislative Reference Service in order to provide Members with expert research and analysis to inform our legislative work. Betsy has been an invaluable resource to us, our staff, and those of numerous other Members. We will not only miss her knowledge, but we will also miss her kindness on behalf of Mr. Calvert of California and myself, we ask our colleagues to join us in congratulating Betsy A. Cody on her retirement, and thanking her for her long career of public service to the Congress and to our country.
Opioid Crisis (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-5-25

let me thank my colleague, Senator Manchin, for arranging the time to talk about the ongoing opioid epidemic across the country. I know his home State of West Virginia-- much like my home State of Rhode Island--has been hit particularly hard by this epidemic. prgtoken This is not happening in some far off place or some distant country. It is happening in Rhode Island, West Virginia, and, indeed, every State throughout the Nation. Last year, over 330 Rhode Islanders lost their lives due to opioids. prgtoken Rhode Island is a small State, so let me talk about a national statistic that shows the extent of this crisis. Last year, drug overdoses killed 50,000 Americans. That means more people died last year because of drug overdoses than due to car crashes or gun violence. These numbers are staggering, and it is happening in all of our communities. prgtoken Since 2011, the number of overdose deaths has increased by more than 90 percent. Unfortunately, year after year, Rhode Island continues to top the Nation in terms of rates of overdose deaths. We must work to turn this around and get more people access to treatment for opioid addiction. prgtoken In 2008, almost a decade ago, Congress enacted the landmark Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Law. For the first time, the law required insurance companies to cover behavioral health services in the same way that it would cover physical health services. This was a critical step, but it ultimately did not solve the problem, as some insurance companies have continued to find ways to avoid complying with the law--or at least its spirit. prgtoken It took passage of the Affordable Care Act to improve access to behavioral health services. For the first time, critical consumer protections, like banning discrimination based on preexisting conditions, ensured that individuals with substance abuse disorders could not be denied coverage. prgtoken Further, the ACA established a set of essential health benefits that all insurance plans must cover, including mental health and substance abuse treatment. Gone are the days when consumers would pay steep prices for health insurance that in actuality did not even cover basic health services, such as mental health care or maternity care. prgtoken In addition, the ACA prohibits lifetime annual limits on care. Before the ACA, many people with chronic health conditions, such as substance use disorders, would hit their annual cap just a couple of months into the year and then would have to pay all other costs out of pocket for the rest of the year. prgtoken Lastly, the expansion of Medicaid has made a tremendous improvement in access to behavioral health services. In States like Rhode Island that have expanded Medicaid, we have seen a sharp drop in the percentage of people with substance use disorders who seek care in the emergency department because they are uninsured. Medicaid is the sin
CHILD RESCUE COALITION
Theodore E. Deutch (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-5-25

this morning, I supported the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act to help stop the unspeakable cruelty of child pornography. prgtoken The trade of child pornography on the internet is not just information streaming across wires, it is abuse; and those who trade in child pornography are compounding the physical abuse of innocent victims who are depicted in these horrible images. They are real children next door and across the country. prgtoken An astounding 28 percent of American youth will be sexually victimized at some point in their lives. Thankfully, the Child Rescue Coalition in Boca Raton, Florida, is already fighting back. They are using real-time data to help law enforcement track sexual predators from the darkest corners of the internet to their front door. prgtoken Child Rescue Coalition has used their cutting edge technology as a critical partner with law enforcement and child advocates to help rescue over 2,000 lonely, afraid, and hurt children across the world. prgtoken I thank my constituent, Carly Yoost, for the heroic work of the Child Rescue Coalition--shielding, rescuing, and safeguarding children from sexual exploitation.
OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-5-25

I am very pleased to join my colleagues, Senator Franken and Senator Warren, who are also here for this conversation that was kicked off earlier this afternoon by our friend and colleague from West Virginia, Senator Manchin. prgtoken West Virginia does not have a whole lot in common with Rhode Island. We are a coastal State. Senator Manchin comes from a very landlocked mountainous State. Our biggest mountain in Rhode Island is probably the Johnson landfill. But we have something in common, which is the extent to which opioid addiction and opioid overdoses have stricken our State. We have had over 200 deaths per year. In a State our size, everyone is within 2 or 3 degrees of separation of everyone else. Those 200 deaths reverberate through our whole State. prgtoken There is a small town in Rhode Island called Burrillville, up in our northwest corner. Burrillville is a very small town in Rhode Island. I went up there for a meeting about the opioid epidemic at Burrillville High School. In the previous quarter, in just 3 months, that one little town had six deaths from opioid overdoses. That is six times that the little police force had to respond, six times the funeral parlors had to handle grieving families, six times that death notices had to be published in the local paper. It felt like a battering to people in that community. prgtoken Senator Manchin has a pretty good idea to help make sure that we have the funding to get treatment to people before these tragedies take place. He proposes what he calls the LifeBOAT Act, which is one penny for each milligram of active opioid in a prescription drug--one penny. It is only a penny, but it would have raised about $2 billion last year. So $2 billion would save a lot of people and save a lot of lives. prgtoken Just to give you some idea of the scale, Purdue Pharma has generated estimated sales of more than $35 billion since 1995 for opioid medications. It has annual revenues of about $3 billion, mostly from OxyContin. That is just one company. So the idea of adding a penny really does not seem to me to be asking very much. prgtoken The way we operate now in the Senate, I know that asking corporations to do anything seems impossible because they have the financial whip hand over so many Senators because of the unlimited money they are allowed to spend and threaten to spend in our politics. But really, after all the lives that have been lost, after all the lives have been affected, you would expect that just out of common decency this industry would step up and say: For a penny, we are in. So let's hope they come around to that because I think it is a good plan. prgtoken Care, on the other hand, would be a disaster. So many people get their opioid treatment through Medicaid and through the expansion of Medicaid that the Affordable Care Act created. To undo that, to strip $1.4 trillion, as President has proposed, out of Medicaid is inevitably g
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-5-25

first, let me thank my good friend from Illinois for, as usual, his articulate, compassionate, and outstanding work and for the great job he and others did yesterday when they invited the people here. I reiterate just what the Senator from Illinois stated; that is, once they take repeal off the table--they are having real trouble with repeal--we want to sit down and make our healthcare system better. It is not perfect. No one thought it was. prgtoken It is better than it was. Many more people are covered. Preexisting conditions, college kids--kids get out of college, and they get healthcare. All of that is better. We don't want to get rid of everything, but we want to improve it. We are working. Forty-eight Senators, as my colleague from Illinois knows--every signed a letter to Leader McConnell saying we want to work with you to improve this system, not to sabotage the existing system, not to repeal the good things we have but to improve it. prgtoken And we have gotten no answer in that regard.
NATIONAL ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-5-25

May is Asthma Awareness Month. As co-chair of the House Asthma and Allergy Caucus, I would like to talk about what we can do for our constituents living with asthma. prgtoken About 24 million Americans have asthma, and more than one-quarter are children. Asthma costs our health system more than $56 billion every year, along with billions lost in lost productivity. prgtoken In New York, where more than one and a half million live with asthma, we are all too familiar with these staggering costs which come on top of a heartbreaking human toll: about 3,600 Americans die every year because of asthma. prgtoken I have asked appropriators to fund the CDC's National Asthma Control Program which helps States monitor and treat asthma at $29 million. This program has brought down asthma-related costs by billions and literally saves lives. prgtoken Since the program's inception, deaths from asthma episodes have fallen nearly one-quarter. So this works. It is money well spent, and we can't afford not to have it. prgtoken In honor of Asthma Awareness Month, I implore my colleagues to support this program and bring Americans living with asthma much-needed relief.
TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM DAUSTER
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-5-25

I have two words for Bill Dauster: Thank you. prgtoken Thank you, Bill Dauster, for your brilliant mind and unwearying service to the U.S. Senate, to the American people, and to America's most noble ideals. prgtoken Thank you for your good humor, and thank you for your endless supply of good ideas. prgtoken The Senate is going to miss you. prgtoken In Steven Spielberg's Movie ``Lincoln,'' with Daniel Day-Lewis, there is a scene in which President Lincoln is talking with Congressman Thaddeus Stephens of Pennsylvania, played by Tommy Lee Jones. prgtoken Thaddeus Stephens was one of the most righteous, uncompromising abolitionists in all of American history--and thank goodness for him. prgtoken In the movie, he tells President Lincoln that there is no use in appealing to the moral decency of slaveholders and their allies to end slavery and racial discrimination. prgtoken The reason, he says, is that ``the inner compass that should direct the soul toward justice has ossified''--become utterly useless-- ``through tolerating the evil of slavery.'' prgtoken President Lincoln's reply was so wise. He said, ``A compass, I learnt when I was surveying, . . . it'll point you True North from where you'e standing, but it's got no advice about the swamps and desert and chasm that you'll encounter along the way.'' prgtoken He went on to say,``If in pursuit of your destination, you plunge ahead, heedless of obstacles, and achieve nothing more than to sink in a swamp, what's the use of knowing True North?'' prgtoken There is a lesson in that story for all of us. prgtoken Passing laws in our democracy requires more than passion and more than clever speeches. prgtoken Passing laws requires legislative skill. It requires mastery of parliamentary procedure and arcane rules. That is how we avoid the ``swamps and desert and chasms'' that President Lincoln spoke of. prgtoken Bill Dauster knows more about the rules of the Senate than probably anyone since Senator Robert C. Byrd. That has made him something of a legend in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken But what makes him even more admirable is the reason that Bill Dauster has mastered the mechanics of lawmaking. prgtoken Bill has worked for a lot of big names in American politics, but it is dignity and justice and fairness for the little guy that has always driven him. prgtoken In 30-plus years, he left the Senate only twice, for brief stretches. Once was to be President Bill Clinton's deputy assistant for economic policy during the golden years of a budget surplus. The other time was in 1998 and 1999, to work on the Presidential exploratory committee of Senator Paul Wellstone. prgtoken Paul Wellstone used to say: ``I didn't come to the Senate to fight for the Rockefellers. They have enough lobbyists. I'm here to fight for the little feller.'' prgtoken That could be Bill Dauster's motto too. prgtoken Bill Dauster has the rare sort of vision in which no one is invisible, no
HONORING SECOND LIEUTENANT RICHARD WILBUR COLLINS III
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-5-25

I stand to pay tribute to a distinguished young man from the State of Maryland: 2LT Richard Wilbur Collins III, a brave, brilliant, passionate, selfless, and kind American hero. prgtoken Second Lieutenant Collins, a resident of Calvert County, MD, was a 23-year-old student at Bowie State University, where he was a member of the Bowie ROTC Program and was airborne-certified. On May 18, just last week, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army's intelligence branch. Second Lieutenant Collins was scheduled to graduate with a bachelor's of arts in business administration from Bowie State University earlier this week. His future could not have been brighter. prgtoken Tragically, Second Lieutenant Collins' life was cut short by a horrific act of violence that the FBI is investigating as a hate crime. We must bring the perpetrator of this evil act to justice and directly confront the racism behind it. prgtoken Second Lieutenant Collins' selfless and courageous contributions to our State and Nation will continue to have a lasting impact on those who knew and loved him and on the broader community who learned of his tragic and senseless death. At the young age of 23, Second Lieutenant Collins raised his right hand to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. He was a young man of extraordinary courage and ability and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. prgtoken Second Lieutenant Collins leaves behind his grieving family: his father, U.S. veteran Richard W. Collins II; his mother Dawn Collins, his sister Robin Collins, and countless friends. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Second Lieutenant Richard Wilbur Collins III and in expressing our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-5-25

today I wish to recognize May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and celebrate the many contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, AAPI. The Asian American and Pacific Islander community is diverse and draws from a variety of distinct cultures, each of which has strengthened this country-- providing leaders, innovators, scientists, activists, artists, and citizens. prgtoken As we take the time to recognize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their heritage, it would be negligent to forget that this year marks 75 years since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. He signed Executive Order 9066 in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor and authorized the Department of War-- today known as the Department of Defense--to establish ``military zones.'' The military had complete authority over these zones, including control over who entered and who was permitted to leave. The military zones became internment camps. In total, some 75,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and 45,000 Japanese nationals were imprisoned in these camps across the country. prgtoken At the time, many attempted to justify the internment camps by citing Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. They cited the need to protect our homeland from potential espionage. They cited the fact that Japan was our wartime enemy. They cited the likelihood that the next attack would come from someone ``looking like'' the enemy. prgtoken What they failed to explain was why no internment camps were established for Americans of German ancestry--or Italian ancestry. Japan was not our only wartime enemy; yet Japanese Americans were the only ones thrust into imprisonment under the guise of ``national security.'' prgtoken It is not difficult to guess why. Japanese Americans were targeted because their heritage was thought to be easier to perceive. Of course, in many cases, the U.S. Department of War did not draw distinctions between Americans of Japanese ancestry and Americans of other Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry. If you were thought to look like the enemy, you were a target--full stop--and were at risk of being imprisoned illegally by the American Government. prgtoken This is one of the darkest periods in our history. We must not forget it. We cannot forget the tens of thousands of innocent families who were stripped of their basic human and legal rights and prgtoken property, racially profiled, and degraded. We cannot forget that ``national security'' was then--and is now--a poor justification for racial profiling and a transparent attempt to sanction and institutionalize racism. prgtoken These are lessons the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has carried for generations, all while making our country stronger and more inclusive. The AAPI experiences--when we take the time to hear them--force us to engage in self-reflection, to be more aware of our own biases, and more cautious of our own im
Opioid Crisis (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-5-25

I rise to speak with a lot of my colleagues coming down speaking on the opiate crisis we have in all of our States. prgtoken West Virginia has been hit the hardest in the Nation right now, and I want to speak to this because it is something we must address. This has been a silent killer for far too long. prgtoken I don't know a person who I have ever met who doesn't know somebody in their immediate family, extended family, or close friends who has not been affected by either prescription drug abuse or illicit drug use. With that, here we are. prgtoken I rise with my colleagues who have been coming down--they will be coming the rest of the day--to bring attention to this national crisis that is devastating every community. Many of the Senators you are going to hear from--and have already heard from--are from States that are dealing with an increase in this opiate abuse, just like my State of West Virginia. Just like I have, they have heard from families, community leaders who are on the front lines. They are begging for solutions, funding, and they need facilities to properly combat the scourge we have right now. prgtoken Let me say to everybody who is watching, everybody who is listening in any way, shape, or form that you are hearing this: 20 years, 30 years ago, I was as guilty as everybody in the public policy arena in government, in my State government in West Virginia. If you fooled with drugs back then, we thought, well, we will put you in prison; you committed a crime. Well, guess what. We have been putting them away for 20, 30 years, and we never cured a single soul. prgtoken Finally, we have come to the realization that addiction is an illness. Any other illness gets treatment. So we need treatment, but we don't have treatment centers. Budgets are tight. prgtoken I have a cousin who is a judge. Every day he says: Joe, I sentence people for the crimes they commit every day. He says: I have never had the first person say: Hey, Judge, we don't have a prison cell or a jail cell to put this person in. But if it happens once a day, it will happen 5 or 10 times a day, if I believe someone needs to get treatment because of their addiction, they will say: Well, Judge, I am sorry. We have no place to put them. We have no treatment centers. We will find a jail cell for you, but we will not find a treatment center because we don't have them. prgtoken The States don't have the money. Counties don't have the money. Municipalities don't have the money. The Federal Government has never dedicated enough money for this. So we keep talking about everything that happens. prgtoken Last year, over 800 West Virginians died of prescription drug abuse. They died of abuse from prescription drugs, and everyone says: Well, how do people get started? I don't know. Most of them have done heavy work in West Virginia. We do mining and manufacturing. That is heavy work, and sometimes they get hurt. prgtoken I am going t