mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Healthcare (Executive Session)
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-12-10

I rise to join my ic colleagues who have come to the floor in recent weeks to share stories from our constituents about the need to protect and improve healthcare. prgtoken Throughout the last 3 years, the administration and s in Congress have been relentless in their attempts to undermine our healthcare system, and their efforts have increased costs and made it harder for patients to access the care they and their families need. prgtoken Instead of working to improve our healthcare system and ensure that it is actually working for patients, this administration and some of my colleagues have actively sought to do the opposite, and that has very real implications for the people we serve. prgtoken Take, for example, Cassandra Van Kuren of Manchester, NH. Cassandra is a 26-year-old who is passionate about fitness and staying healthy. That is why it was so devastating that a week before she turned 25, she got the news that she had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. prgtoken Cassandra's life had been turned upside down, and after her diagnosis, she was immediately hit with another shocking blow: the costs associated with her condition. prgtoken Within the first week of her diagnosis, she was forced to max out her credit card, and to this day she is still paying back all of the bills she accumulated within her first month of being diagnosed. prgtoken Soon after, she lost her job because she missed so much work. She then went to work with her husband at the gym they own in Manchester and was able to get health insurance through the business. prgtoken Still, the costs remain enormous. On average, Cassandra has to spend $150 a month on insulin costs alone after insurance. Her premium is over $400 per month, and every 3 months she accumulates bills of over $500 due to the cost of appointments and equipment. And, sadly, Cassandra and her husband are nervous about starting a family because their costs for care would grow even higher. The amount of insulin a woman with type 1 diabetes needs increases three times when she is pregnant. prgtoken Cassandra's story is an example of why we need to improve our healthcare system and also why we can't afford to allow Washington s to pull us backward. prgtoken The administration is backing a partisan lawsuit--the result of which we will know soon--which would take healthcare away from millions of Americans, gut protections for preexisting conditions, end Medicaid expansion, and eliminate the requirement that insurers must cover prescription drugs, maternity care, mental healthcare, substance abuse treatment, and so much more. prgtoken With the support of Senate s, the administration has promoted what are appropriately referred to as junk health insurance plans. These junk plans allow insurance companies to discriminate against Americans who experience preexisting conditions, and they also leave patients with higher he
TRIBAL COASTAL RESILIENCY ACT
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-12-10

. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 729, the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act. This strong, bipartisan package is a combination of months of work in the Natural Resources Committee. It includes many key priorities for the Great Lakes region, including Representative Quigley's Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act. prgtoken This bipartisan legislation will strengthen our understanding of Great Lakes fisheries and provide additional resources for research into the Great Lakes Basin's fisheries and biology. prgtoken Cutting-edge technologies authorized by the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act will enable scientists to deliver near- real-time data on quickly emerging crises, such as potential fisheries crashes or new and very unwelcome invasive species like the Asian carp. prgtoken Additionally, the package includes key sportsmen's priorities like the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act, which builds off State- and locally led joint ventures to better conserve wildlife and fish habitats. prgtoken As one of the co-chairs of the Great Lakes Task Force here in Congress, I urge all of my colleagues to support these important provisions and vote in favor of the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act.
Nomination of Lawrence VanDyke (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-12-10

I join my colleague from Connecticut, Senator Blumenthal, and others in urging my colleagues to oppose the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke. prgtoken I may risk repeating some of the ground that has been covered by Senator Blumenthal, but I think it is important enough that we reiterate over and over the dangerous nature of this particular nomination. prgtoken I have come down to speak on the floor in opposition to maybe only a handful of the President's judicial nominees. In fact, if you look up the voting record, I probably am amongst a very small handful of who have routinely voted for the President's nominees--not just judicial nominees but also his appointments to positions in his administration. prgtoken Often in committee, I am the only supporting some of the President's nominees and appointments, and that is because I have come to the conclusion that this body should give deference to the administration and to the President when it comes particularly to filling the positions of those who work for him in political appointments but to a degree as well in the judiciary. prgtoken So I put my votes where my test is, and probably with only two or three exceptions in the ic caucus, I have voted for more of the President's nominees than the rest of my colleagues on this side of the aisle. My test is pretty simple. One, I want individuals who are qualified. Obviously qualifications are sometimes in the eye of the beholder, but I want folks who know something about the job they are about to undertake or have some set of skills that will be relevant. Second, I want to make sure the candidates we are reviewing for judgeships or administration posts are not out of the mainstream--I mean the conservative mainstream. I don't want folks who have radical points of view. prgtoken Mr. VanDyke doesn't pass that test as far as I am concerned, and that is why I chose to come down to the floor and express my opposition to his nomination. In particular, I do not believe Mr. VanDyke is within the mainstream when it comes to his positions on the issue of gun violence. prgtoken Obviously this is a personal issue not just to me but to everybody in this Chamber, and we have a lot of disagreement--maybe a narrowing set of disagreements on the policy surrounding what we should do to better protect this country against the growing scourge of gun violence. But Mr. VanDyke has held a position that would take away from this body the ability to keep our friends and our neighbors and our constituents safe. Mr. VanDyke's record as a candidate for the supreme court and as solicitor general was to endorse views outside of the mainstream that would take away from us the ability to pass laws to keep people safe. Let me tell you what I am talking about. prgtoken First and foremost, he was a vocal proponent of something called the Firearms Freedom Act. As solicitor general of Montana, he argued that the F
Nomination of Lawrence VanDyke (Executive Session)
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2019-12-10

I stand here today in opposition to the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Nevada, and I stand here today because I think we can all agree--no matter where you are from--that Federal judges in our States should come from our communities, and they should reflect our communities. prgtoken It is unfortunate to see this Chamber disregard Nevada's voice and move forward with Mr. VanDyke's nomination. The State of Nevada has numerous qualified lawyers and judges who have done good work and have good reputations in our communities, who are nonpartisan, and who would make excellent additions to the Ninth Circuit. But the White House didn't nominate any of these qualified individuals for the Ninth Circuit. Instead, the President nominated Lawrence VanDyke, a man who wasn't born in Nevada, didn't grow up in Nevada, didn't go to school in Nevada, and doesn't live in Nevada now. He hasn't even set foot in Nevada for over a year. prgtoken This administration has nominated someone to serve on the Nevada seat of the Ninth Circuit who--and let me be clear--is not a Nevadan. Mr. VanDyke is, however, a Washington, DC, lawyer and failed political candidate from Montana who was nominated to further his and this administration's extreme political views. prgtoken His nomination is being imposed on the people of Nevada, despite the many qualified individuals in our own State--individuals who are respected on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken As if Mr. VanDyke's lack of any meaningful connection to the State of Nevada wasn't enough, Mr. VanDyke is not even qualified to hold this post, according to the American Bar Association. In reviewing this nominee and speaking with dozens upon dozens of his former colleagues, the ABA found Mr. VanDyke specifically ``not qualified'' to serve in this role. The ABA has made that finding for only 3 percent of President 's judicial nominees, and Mr. VanDyke is the first in a small group whose nomination will move forward without--let me repeat: without--the support of either Senator representing the State where he will sit on the bench if confirmed. That we would allow someone who is not qualified to hold a lifetime position in such a critically important role is, frankly, absurd, and it is something no Senator should support, no matter the party of the President who nominated them. prgtoken The ABA's report found Mr. VanDyke to be lacking in knowledge of day- to-day practice, including procedural rules. The report found Mr. VanDyke to be lacking humility and an open prgtoken mind, and the ABA's report found Mr. VanDyke to be lacking a commitment to the truth. prgtoken In order to see how the ABA came to this conclusion, one only needs to look at Mr. VanDyke's record of pursuing an ideological agenda instead of working for the people and defending the law. In his past role as attorney general of Montana, he filed many politically driven briefs,
FOSTERING UNDERGRADUATE TALENT BY UNLOCKING RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION ACT
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-12-10

today's bill, which I am pleased to cosponsor, accomplishes much good. While providing critical support for minority-serving institutions like Huston-Tillotson in Austin, it includes provisions from the bipartisan Student Aid Simplification Act, which I introduced earlier this year. It will assist students in all universities, and it is also mighty important to graduates repaying student debt. prgtoken I salute the chairman, Mr. Scott, for the work of his committee; College Forward and National College Access Network, who have worked with me on this for months; and, certainly, Senators Murray and Alexander for moving this through the Senate. prgtoken Too many students find the current Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, so complicated and the difficulty of getting all of the financial information required so demanding that they never complete the application. In fact, I was in San Antonio this past weekend. The completion rate there is a mere 35 percent. So $2.6 billion in free money available for student prgtoken financial assistance goes unclaimed each year. prgtoken This bill will eliminate up to 22 FAFSA questions and require the Department of Education and IRS to work together and do some of the heavy lifting for the students by sharing the taxpayer information required for FAFSA completion. This means an increase in access to Pell grants and other educational opportunities, especially for first-time students whose parents may work multiple jobs. prgtoken And the provisions included from the bill that we introduced earlier this year will also eliminate problems that about 7 million students who graduated have faced in the annual recertification process for income-driven loans. prgtoken These are folks who may owe a lot, but they don't earn a lot. They include many teachers who have been kicked out of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for not recertifying each year. We eliminate that. These borrowers will now be protected from payment spikes. prgtoken We do all this through administrative simplification, through greater accuracy, so the bill actually raises the $2.8 billion that we need for our minority-serving institutions. prgtoken When more students can access all the education that they are willing to work for, the students win, their families win, and our economy wins. Investing in our students is one of the best investments we can make, and investing in our minority-serving institutions means that opportunity is available for all.
Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-12-10

last week, when I joined my colleagues to recognize Senator Isakson, I mentioned that when Johnny says he is going to get something done, you know it will get done. The bill we are getting ready to pass today in a few hours, the Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act, which he has worked on with Senator Casey, proves it once again. prgtoken Every day, people head to their local pharmacy or retail store for over-the-counter medications to deal with a cough or a sore throat or a stomach ache. Every day, parents across the country turn to the medicine cabinet after someone comes home with a scrape or a bug bite or poison ivy. Every day, there are countless other health concerns people look to treat quickly, safely, and effectively with over-the- counter drugs. That is why this legislation is so important. prgtoken The pace of scientific discovery seems to speed up every day, but the over-the-counter monograph system--the system for how these drugs are regulated and brought to market--has not kept pace. The current system has not changed, actually, since 1972, and it sorely needs to. Right now, even after the science has made clear that small changes to the monograph, or recipe, for an over-the-counter drug might make it safer or more effective, it can take years for those changes to be approved under the current outdated process. Even small changes to a drug label, including changes regarding important new safety information, can be held up for years. prgtoken The Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act takes long-needed steps to address this problem and streamline the way over-the-counter drugs are regulated and brought to market. These changes will allow the Food and Drug Administration to do more to protect public health and make sure over-the-counter drugs, ingredients, and labels reflect the latest science. It will also encourage the development of new products to better meet the needs of patients. The legislation allows the FDA to collect user fees for reviewing over-the-counter drugs to make sure it has the resources it needs to do this important job. prgtoken Many families rely on over-the-counter drugs each day for a lot of different reasons. It is very important that these medications and the labels we turn to for information about them are safe, that they are effective, and prgtoken that they are as up-to-date with the latest science as possible. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Isakson and Senator Casey, this bill we will vote on this afternoon will help accomplish that by updating the over- the-counter monograph system for the first time in decades. I know how important this bill has been to Senator Isakson and how he has worked so hard on it for many years. I want to tell him how grateful I am. I want him to know that I am particularly grateful for his commitment to getting this done for families back in Georgia and across the country. <|p|
TRIBAL COASTAL RESILIENCY ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2019-12-10

. Madam Chair, I rise to express my strong support for the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act (H.R. 729), which contains a number of important provisions, including the text of my bill, the District of Columbia Flood Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R. 2185). I thank my friend, Natural Resources Committee Chair Raul Grijalva, and Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee Chair Jared Huffman, for including my bill in this legislation. This legislation would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) to include the nation's capital in the definition of ``coastal state.'' Our bill would correct an apparent oversight in the omission of the District of Columbia from the CZMA and would make the District eligible to receive federal coastal zone management funding, including flood mitigation and prevention funds. prgtoken Importantly, the District is located on two rivers, the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, which are tidally influenced and show tangible salt water effects (and fish) and are part of an ``intertidal-zone'' existing between high and low maritime tides. D.C. has suffered substantial coastal floods in the past and has also experienced numerous instances of riverine and interior flooding, such as the massive flood of 2006 which flooded Constitution Avenue and caused millions of dollars in damage to the National Archives, the Internal Revenue Service and other federal buildings. prgtoken Despite these factors, D.C. was omitted from the list of eligible states and territories in the CZMA. This oversight probably occurred because the CZMA was passed in 1972--before the District achieved home rule. Because territories are included in the definition of ``coastal states'' under the CZMA, it appears that D.C.'s omission is a mistake, which only Congress can correct. prgtoken A member of the other side complained that the District should not be included in the bill. However, scientists have predicted that the tides on the Atlantic Coast could rise two to four feet by the year 2100, causing private and federal property worth as much as $7 billion in the District to be routinely under threat by floodwaters. Because of these factors, the District should be eligible under the CZMA, just like the states and territories already listed in the CZMA. prgtoken I urge support for this bill.
EXECUTIVE SESSION--Continued
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-12-10

from Maryland for his diligence in this issue of utmost importance to the integrity of our elections, to our national security, and basically for trust in government. If the American people feel that a foreign country can interfere in their elections and, particularly, that their President is OK with that, I worry and pray for our democracy. prgtoken For the past few years, Senate have sought to pass legislation to improve the security of elections. There are many ways to do this--hardening our election infrastructure, shoring up cyber defenses, and requiring paper ballots. One of the most important has been advocated with passion and vigor by my colleague from Maryland, and that is deterring foreign adversaries from trying to interfere with elections in the first place. prgtoken For the past year, have been pushing legislation that would do just that by instituting mandatory crosscutting sanctions against any adversary--Russia, China, Iran, North Korea--that even dared to attempt to meddle in our democracy. It is a bipartisan idea. Senator Van Hollen has legislation that is cosponsored by Senator Rubio. We tried hard to pass this measure in the annual defense bill. Senate s and Leader McConnell blocked the provision from the final agreement. prgtoken Here we are today, asking our colleagues to relent and allow this bipartisan legislation to pass the Senate on its own. Our top national security officials have warned us that our adversaries are right now--right now, as we speak--working on ever more sophisticated methods to meddle in our elections. That is what Putin does. He doesn't have the military power or the economic power, but he has long tentacles and clever ways to undermine our democracy. Are we going to stand there benignly and let it happen? That is outrageous. prgtoken Why have Leader McConnell and Senate s opposed it? I hope it is not because the Russian Foreign Minister is in town this week. I hope it is not because anyone wants to invite foreign interference. prgtoken I am worried that it is just as my colleague from Maryland said: , who has shown no regard for the rule of law, for fairness, for decency, or for honor, if he thinks Russian interference will help him, he says: Let's do it. What is bothersome is that my colleagues on the side of the aisle move forward on his wishes, right to the undermining of our democracy. prgtoken I guarantee that if Leader McConnell would allow the vote on this legislation, it would pass almost unanimously. Remember, the motion to instruct conferees on NDAA to include this legislation passed nearly unanimously. I would plead with my good friend--he is a good man from Idaho, Senator Crapo--and I would plead with Leader McConnell: Stop this now. If is getting you to do this or if the White House is, which I suspect is true, that is not your duty t
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-12-10

the Senate is about to vote on the Over- the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act of 2019. prgtoken I want to thank my friend and colleague Senator Isakson for his good work on this for many years, Chairman Alexander, and Ranking Member Patty Murray. prgtoken The current OTC monograph system is broken, and what we are talking about, in simple form, is literally what is on your pill bottle, that kind of information. prgtoken It is a broken system. The FDA doesn't have the authority to move swiftly when there is a threat to public health; it doesn't have the opportunity to update existing monographs; and there is no incentive for innovation. prgtoken This legislation is decades overdue. I am grateful for the good work of so many who made it possible. It is a commonsense bill, consumer group supported, industry stakeholder supported, and of course the FDA not only supports it but needs it. prgtoken I will now yield to my friend and colleague, Senator Johnny Isakson.