mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DESIGNATING THE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE LOCATED AT 300 SOUTH FOURTH STREET IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AS THE ``DIANA E. MURPHY UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE''
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-10-9

we receive a lot of letters in our offices, and primarily we pay attention to those that come from our own home States. People expect me as their Senator to read the letter and to at least consider their point of view. Some of these letters are kind of routine, almost form letters. Some emails come in at a volume we can hardly keep up with. In Illinois, I receive 10,000 emails a week--a week. That is a lot. prgtoken There was a time when I was a college kid working here on Capitol Hill, and the Senator from Illinois signed every letter that went out of the office--sat at the desk and signed the letters. It is inconceivable now that we can respond to all the letters each day. We try to keep up with them, we try to be timely, and we pick those letters out that are personal and important enough that the staff thinks I should read them personally, and I make a point of doing it. prgtoken Sometimes the stories they tell give me an insight into the issues we debate on the floor of the Senate. prgtoken Most of the time the American people look at us puzzled, asking: What are they talking about, and why does this mean anything to my family and my future? prgtoken Let me give you an example of a couple of letters I received that relate to a vote we are going to take this week. The first letter was from Richard and Mary Laidman, from Naperville, IL, which is west of the city of Chicago, in DuPage County. prgtoken Richard and Mary wrote: ``Our 13-year-old son Sam was diagnosed with leukemia one day after the `no pre-existing conditions exclusions for kids' protection went into effect.'' prgtoken They went on to say to me: ``Obviously, we are feeling dependent on all the clauses of the [ACA] right now--including [the] no pre-existing conditions exclusions.'' prgtoken The bottom line, the Laidmans say, is ``junk insurance plans,'' the ones that are so cheap they don't cover anything important. ``Junk insurance plans'' wouldn't cover their son. It would leave him and the family to fend for themselves in the individual market. prgtoken Do you know what it is like to go into the individual market as a mother and father and try to find health insurance for a 13-year-old son who has been diagnosed with leukemia? Maybe you can't find any, but if you could, it would be so expensive that you might not be able to afford it. The Affordable Care Act changed that, and it said: If you are going to offer health insurance plans in this country, you cannot discriminate against Americans with preexisting conditions. You have to cover everybody--bring them all in. prgtoken We do that in Medicare. We say when you reach Medicare eligibility: All aboard. Everybody is invited in. prgtoken But for the longest time, private health insurance companies wanted to pick and choose. They wanted healthy people who can pay premiums. They would rather not pay these bills so they excluded a lot of people with preexisting conditions. prgtoken Sam, a
CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ABDUL SHAKOOR
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-10-9

I rise today to call for the immediate release of Abdul Shakoor, a prisoner of conscience currently incarcerated in Pakistan, and a man who has been persecuted for his belief in the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith. Mr. Shakoor is an 82-year old who manages an optician's store and bookshop in the main bazaar of Rabwah in Punjab province. Rabwah is the de facto headquarters of Pakistan's Ahmadiyya Muslim community, known as Ahmadis. prgtoken Mr. Shakoor is a beloved figure in Rabwah where he is known as a pillar of the community, a leader, a conciliator, and peacemaker. He is referred to by all as ``Brother'' Shakoor. prgtoken In 1997, Pakistan passed the Anti-Terrorism Act, which provided for a broad definition of terrorism and created special Anti-Terrorism Courts to try individuals accused of violating the law. In the 20 years since it became law, the Anti-Terrorism Act has been increasingly used as a cudgel to persecute religious minorities within Pakistan, with a specific malicious focus trained on Ahmadi Muslims. This is because Pakistan's Constitution declares members of the Ahmadiyya faith as non- Muslims, and Pakistan's Penal Code criminalizes their existence for ``posing as Muslim,'' subjecting them to three years imprisonment and potential capital punishment. Thus, Ahmadis are legally rendered heretical and thus illegal in Pakistan because Ahmadi Muslims believe that the founder of their faith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was divinely appointed as the promised Mahdi and Messiah. prgtoken On December 2nd and 9th of 2015, Brother Shakoor's bookshop was raided by the Counter Terrorism Department of the Punjab police and the counterterrorism focused Elite Force. He and his assistant, Mazhar Abbas, a Shia Muslim, were arrested for the crime of distributing Ahmadiyya commentaries on the Qur'an. Brother Shakoor was charged with violating both the Anti-Terrorism Act, for ``disseminating any material to incite hatred,'' and the Pakistani Penal code for committing acts or speech that insult a religion or defile the Qur'an or the Prophet Muhammad. prgtoken Brother Shakoor was brought to trial within a month before the Anti- Terrorism Court in Faisalabad, Punjab. The only witnesses at the trial were the officers who raided his bookstore who entered into evidence a letter supposedly recovered during the December 9 raid. The letter, purportedly from the Ahmadiyya Director of Public Affairs, notified Brother Shakoor that some Ahmadiyya literature had been banned and he should neither display nor sell it. However, the literature cited in the letter, and for which Brother Shakoor was prosecuted, was not banned until January 20, 2016, after the trial had concluded. Obviously, religious literature cannot be banned under international human rights law in any case. prgtoken Brother Shakoor contended at trial, and maintains the position, that while he was in possession of the literature, he did not distribute it. Yet, the anti-terror
TRIBUTE CELEBRATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JOHN AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
James E. Clyburn (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2018-10-9

I rise today to honor St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church of Cottageville, South Carolina, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary celebration on the weekend of September 14th-16th, 2018. The journey that has brought St. John A.M.E. Church to this moment began in 1868 when the Church, originally named St. Matthew A.M.E was established in the Burr Hill community under a bush arbor. prgtoken Responding to the need for a more secure structure, the Reverend James Nesbitt and the officials of the Charleston District, with the assistance of the Church's founding fathers, organized the building of a church constructed of lightwood boards, heated by a potbelly stove, and illuminated by kerosene lamps. The Church served members from several different communities and was the site for a public school. prgtoken In 1912, the Church was relocated to a parcel of land more central to the communities it served both in Burr Hill and Mack Village. The area is now known as Griffith Acres Drive in Cottageville, South Carolina. St. John A.M.E.'s present facility was erected in 1975 where the Church continued to flourish and where, with the help of a supportive membership, a Fellowship Hall was constructed to serve as a dining facility and hub for entertainment and educational activities. prgtoken Since its inception, St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church and its congregation have acted as a beacon of light within the community. The programs and ministries initiated by the Church have served as models for A.M.E. churches in the area and for other denominations as well. St. John A.M.E. continues to positively impact the residents of Cottageville, a small town west of Charleston in Colleton County, through community-oriented programs, including: summer math and reading camps, church school, vacation bible school, revivals, bible study, and creative and performing arts. prgtoken Always striving to serve God and the community in new and innovative ways, St. John has piloted a new program called ``The Iron Sharpeners'' to encourage young African-American men to pursue internship opportunities and has planted a new community garden which has produced a fresh harvest available to members, free of charge. prgtoken Despite the uncertain and adverse climate in which St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church was planted, the strength of spirit and faith has allowed the Church to blossom and thrive through the years. St. John exemplifies what it means to be ``rooted in faith'' and is a place that people of various geographic locations and stations in life still refer to as ``home.'' prgtoken It is my great honor to pay tribute to this fine congregation. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church on their 150th anniversary and wishing them continued strength and prosperity in the days ahead.
DESIGNATING THE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE LOCATED AT 300 SOUTH FOURTH STREET IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AS THE ``DIANA E. MURPHY UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE''
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-10-9

I rise today, along with the chairman, Senator Barrasso, to further discuss the important piece of infrastructure legislation that he has outlined that will positively affect the States of every Member of this body. I want to encourage each of our colleagues to support it. prgtoken Over the course of August and early September, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee reached an agreement with our counterparts in the House to advance America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. prgtoken Our chairman, John Barrasso, and I coauthored this bill and did so with the help of the majority and minority staffs of the Environment and Public Works Committee over the better part of this past year. I want to take a moment to thank our chairman, as I have earlier, for his leadership. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Infrastructure Subcommittee of EPW, Jim Inhofe and Ben Cardin, for their leadership in producing this critical bipartisan legislation. prgtoken I want to thank the members of their staffs and especially the majority and minority member EPW staffs, without whose help this bill would not be before us today. Collectively, you have done a terrific job. I am proud of you. As we say in the Navy, Bravo Zulu, which means ``well done.'' prgtoken As some of you may recall, the Senate's version of the bill was reported out of the Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously a few months back. On September 13, the bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously on a voice vote. prgtoken People back home say to me: Why can't you just work together? Well, in this case, we have, and I think the results speak for themselves. I am hopeful and encouraged that this bill will receive the same strong support in the Senate this week. prgtoken In a Congress and a country that are all too often divided, it is refreshing to me and I think to others as well that we have been able to come together to authorize water infrastructure and drinking water programs that are both vital and critical to the American people's way of life. prgtoken America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 is a win-win for our Nation's economy and for our environment. This bill should serve as a model for how we can get meaningful legislation done in Congress, and I hope it will serve as a model. prgtoken This legislation supports the ongoing work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It does so by reauthorizing the Corps' program for flood control, for beach and shoreline maintenance, and for the maintenance of inland and coastal waterways through which the goods that enter and depart from American ports travel. prgtoken The Corps' Civil Works Program is our Nation's largest and I believe the world's biggest water resources undertaking. This program addresses a wide variety of priorities, including ship navigability; flood risk management; beach and shoreline protection; renewable energy, such as hydropower; water
TRIBUTE TO CHARLES C. COOK, SR.
Robert A. Brady (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-10-9

I rise today to honor the service of Charles C. Cook, Sr formerly Superintendent of Congressional Publishing Division at the U.S. Government Publishing Office, on the occasion of his death on Friday, September 28. prgtoken Charlie, as he was known to his colleagues, graduated in 1960 from Catonsville High School in Catonsville, Maryland, and went to work at Key Press in Arbutus for a salary of $1.50 per hour. It was at Key Press that Charlie earned his Printing Apprentice Degree. He then moved to Modern Linotype, and from there to the U.S. Government Printing Office, as the GPO was formerly known, in 1969, where he spent the rest of his career. prgtoken At the GPO, Charlie rose to the position of Superintendent of the GPO's Congressional Publishing Division, which is responsible for ensuring the production and delivery of all of the printing and digital work ordered by Congress, including the Congressional Record, bills, reports, hearings, and all of the other documents required by Congress in carrying out its legislative duties. prgtoken During his tenure, Charlie helped lead the introduction of digital publishing of the congressional documents by the GPO, which has reduced the cost and greatly expanded public access to this critically important information. He was also involved with devising improved security measures for the delivery of congressional materials following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Charlie drew strong praise from Congress for his work, which included managing the production of materials for the 1997 and 2001 Presidential inaugurations as well as materials associated with the impeachment of President Clinton. Indeed, Charlie's professionalism stood out across the legislative branch, and as Superintendent of Congressional Publishing he was a key participant in the day to day operations that supported Congress. prgtoken Charlie was well-known to his colleagues at the GPO, and especially to the many for whom he acted as mentor and advisor, as a manager with a deep understanding of the GPO's work and a model of dedication to GPO's historic mission. He was generous with his time and knowledge, unfailingly kind, and perennially good humored. In the final stage of his career, Charlie was tapped to become Director of New Business Development at the GPO, a senior executive position from which he retired. prgtoken , I commend the work and career of Charlie Cook to my colleagues, and extend the sympathy of this House to his wife, Norene, and his children and grandchildren.
DESIGNATING THE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE LOCATED AT 300 SOUTH FOURTH STREET IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AS THE ``DIANA E. MURPHY UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE''
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2018-10-9

I rise on behalf of 152,000 of my constituents in Montana with preexisting conditions. These are folks who are struggling with things like diabetes and heart disease and asthma and cancer. Many of them are just one medical bill away from bankruptcy. Thankfully, their health insurance is there for them when they need it, whether it be for a joint replacement or to undergo chemo or to have a baby. prgtoken Federal law holds health insurance companies accountable that their plans cover us when we need it. Unfortunately, those rules are being tossed out so big insurance can make a quick buck at the expense of working families. prgtoken Just last week, health insurance companies started flooding the market with junk plans. These plans are marketed as cheap insurance that will keep you healthy. Fifty bucks a month for full coverage, they say; $8.95 a week for top-rated coverage, they claim. Now, that is a heck of a deal. prgtoken Well, not so fast. They are total and complete shams. If you read the fine print, you will discover that dialysis, blood pressure pills, and x rays aren't covered. In fact, most things are not covered. prgtoken Originally, insurance companies designed these plans to provide stopgap coverage when you changed jobs or needed health insurance for just a few months. They figured you could get by prgtoken with a bare-bones policy for a month or two. They were never designed to provide coverage for an entire year, let alone three, but now that has all changed. prgtoken Starting last week, health insurance companies now have permission to sell long-term junk plans to Montana's families. What was once a short- term solution is now becoming a long-term problem. prgtoken So let's ask ourselves why we buy insurance in the first place. It is for risk management. Why do we buy auto insurance? It is in case you get in an auto wreck. You hope you never have to use it, but if you do, you need that insurance to take care of that automobile to get it back on the road again. prgtoken Why do we buy fire insurance? In case you have a fire. You hope it never ever happens, but every once in a while it does, and if you are unfortunate and it happens to you, you have fire insurance to rebuild your home. prgtoken I am a farmer. Why do you have crop insurance? You have crop insurance in that case where Mother Nature may not be smiling upon you; you may not get the rain at the appropriate time or you may get a hailstorm that wipes you out. You hope it never happens, but if it does, you have that crop insurance you can depend upon to manage your risk. prgtoken So why do you buy health insurance? Is it because you plan on getting sick? I don't think so. It is because, if you get sick, you will need the coverage. If you end up with high blood pressure, you have the coverage to help offset those costs. prgtoken Unfortunately, with these junk plans, they are called junk for a reason--because they don't cover anythin
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, SECRETARY OF LABOR, AND SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN...
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2018-10-10

just over a year ago in this Chamber, three brave colleagues--Senator John McCain, Senator Susan Collins, and Senator Lisa Murkowski--joined all in voting against healthcare repeal legislation. They listened to the families of their States. prgtoken I, too, voted against that repeal legislation because the people of Wisconsin did not send me to Washington to take away their healthcare. When congressional s tried to pass repeal plans that would allow insurance companies to charge more for preexisting conditions, families across our country fought back. prgtoken When the majority tried to charge older Americans an age tax and make people pay more for less care, people let their voices be heard and sent a loud message to Washington: Protect our care. They sent us all a clear message that they want us to work across party lines to protect the healthcare guarantees they depend on and to stand up for those with preexisting health conditions. Yet defeating the legislative efforts that would have made things worse for families didn't end the threat to the American people. prgtoken The administration has been trying to do what congressional s couldn't. They have been sabotaging our healthcare system and rewriting the rules on guaranteed health protections and access to affordable care that millions of Americans have today. This sabotage has created instability in the healthcare market, contributing to widespread premium spikes in 2018. prgtoken This administration ended the critical cost-sharing reduction payments that made healthcare more affordable for almost 90,000 Wisconsinites. The administration again slashed funding for outreach efforts to help people sign up for healthcare. prgtoken Trusted navigator programs like those in Wisconsin have had their funding cut by nearly 90 percent in the past 2 years. This will mean fewer people in rural Wisconsin will receive the support they need to obtain affordable coverage this year. prgtoken It doesn't stop there. The administration has even joined Wisconsin's Governor and Wisconsin's attorney general and other States in going to court to support a lawsuit that would take away guaranteed protections for people with preexisting conditions. If they succeed, insurance companies will again be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums for the more than 130 million Americans with a preexisting health condition. In fact, if the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with preexisting conditions are struck down in court, Wisconsin is among the States that has the most to lose. prgtoken According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one out of every four Wisconsinites has some sort of preexisting health condition, and they simply cannot afford to have the healthcare they depend on threatened with higher costs or coverage denials. prgtoken The administration has expanded junk insurance pla
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, SECRETARY OF LABOR, AND SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN...
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-10-10

I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 63, a resolution of disapproval on the administration's final rule allowing the expansion of short-term junk health insurance plans. prgtoken My home State of California recently passed a law prohibiting these short-term plans to protect consumers because these plans do not offer real coverage and are allowed to only take healthy consumers. prgtoken One hundred thirty million non-elderly Americans have a preexisting condition, including 16 million in California. Among the most important provisions in the Affordable Care Act are the consumer protection requirements for health insurance plans that ensure preexisting conditions no longer dictate access to health coverage and essential benefits that ensure coverage is meaningful and comprehensive. prgtoken It does a cancer patient little good to have health insurance that doesn't cover chemotherapy, just as coverage without maternal care is meaningless to an expectant mother. In fact, before the Affordable Care Act was passed, three out of four plans on the individual market did not cover labor and delivery. prgtoken An analysis by Kaiser Family Foundation just this last April found that of the more than 600 short-term plans offered through two major insurance websites, eHealth and Agile Health Insurance, across 45 States, none included maternity care. It gets worse: 71 percent offered no prescription drug coverage, and 43 percent of these plans didn't cover mental healthcare services. prgtoken To be frank, these plans are junk insurance. The major protections in the Affordable Care Act are basically tossed out the window, and we are reminded of why health reform was needed so badly in the first place. These plans can include annual and lifetime limits on care, meaning that, if you need an expensive medical treatment, you may be out of luck, even after paying your premiums. Women can once again be charged more than men for the same plan. prgtoken Insurance companies don't have to comply with medical loss ratio rules that limit administrative costs. In fact, short-term plans covering 80 percent of the market in 2016 only spent half of premium dollars on actual medical care. prgtoken Short-term plans have traditionally been used by some consumers for what the name implies, to bridge short gaps between long-term coverage for a matter of months. The final rule changes this to years. Given the severe shortfalls these plans have and significant consumer risk, they are simply not meant to be a substitute for real health insurance. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to protect consumers and look forward to working together to improve health coverage, not make it worse.