mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CHIP and Community Health Centers (Executive Session)
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-1-8

today marks a sad and, frankly, shocking day for too many of America's children and hard-working families because it has now been 100 days since funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program and community health centers expired. prgtoken History has shown us that there is a whole lot that can get done in 100 days. It took Thomas Jefferson only 17 days to write the Declaration of Independence; the brave allied forces who landed on D- day advanced through France and liberated Paris in only 80 days; and Congress managed to pass 15 major pieces of legislation during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first 100 days in office. Yet, here we are, 100 days past the deadline of September 30, and Congress still hasn't managed to pass long-term legislation to reauthorize what we call CHIP--the Children's Health Insurance Program--and to fund our community health centers. prgtoken We have a strong bipartisan bill funding CHIP, which was passed out of committee. I give our chairman and ranking member kudos for working together. I was proud to work with them. It came out of committee with only one ``no'' vote and has waited and waited and waited on the floor of the Senate. Senator Blunt and I have a bipartisan bill to continue funding community health centers, and 70 Members of the Senate have signed a letter supporting long-term funding for community health centers, which expired September 30--100 days ago. prgtoken Right now, we are in a situation where 9 million children and their parents don't know what is going to happen long term. As soon as this month, 100,000 children and their families in Michigan have begun to get letters saying that their children will lose coverage, and they are trying to figure out what is going on. prgtoken Imagine being a parent who is working hard. A lot of folks I know are working two jobs, trying to hold it together. You don't have health insurance; you earn too much for your children to be able to get Medicaid health insurance, so the Children's Health Insurance Program is your lifeline. It is your lifeline. It gives you peace of mind to know that if your daughter falls and breaks her arm or your son gets a cough that won't go away, you can take them to the doctor. prgtoken What if those children have something worse than a broken arm or a cough? What if they are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or asthma or cancer? Just imagine being that parent and getting a letter which says that your child may no longer have health insurance. It is not necessary. This is not necessary. prgtoken We could do this tomorrow. If we thought it was important enough to bring it to the floor, we could get a vote--and I believe it would be overwhelmingly bipartisan--tomorrow if prgtoken there were a sense of urgency, an understanding, about how these parents feel and how these children feel. prgtoken So what would you do if you got that letter? Would you tell your kids? You don't want them to
HONORING WESTCHESTER DAY SCHOOL 70TH ANNIVERSARY
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-1-8

I rise today to honor one of the great educational institutions in my district, the Westchester Day School, which this year will be celebrating its incredible 70th anniversary. prgtoken Founded in 1948 with an enrollment of 54 boys and girls in kindergarten through grade 4, Westchester Day School (WDS) serves as the primary Modern Orthodox co-educational day school for the Westchester community, providing excellence in Judaic and General Studies education in a warm and nurturing environment. The school's mission is to prepare students to live as mensches and lifelong learners and inspires them to impact the world around them by cultivating a commitment to Torah, midot, community and academic rigor. prgtoken WDS students become lifelong, independent learners who grow from inquiry, discovery, and reflective trial and error. They are problem- solvers who are flexible and adapt to new situations, while identifying and responding to the needs of others with sympathy and empathy. WDS also sets out to instill within its students a love of God and a yearning to find spirituality, fulfillment and joy in Jewish ritual, Torah-learning. They understand that they are a link in a chain of tradition that has flourished for thousands of years. Also instilled within the students is a devotion to the State of Israel, something I as Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee am particularly heartened by and pleased to see. prgtoken For 70 years now WDS has served as a beacon of educational excellence in Westchester, as the work done by its teachers, students, and faculty has been exemplary. I want to congratulate the entire WDS community on this wonderful milestone. Here's to many more years of great success and learning.
Funding the Government (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-1-8

my dear friend and I got to Congress in 1980, and I thank him very much for his leadership on the CHIP issue, as on so many other issues that pass through the Finance Committee, where he has done a terrific job. His caring for kids is unmatched, and he is a great asset to his State of Oregon, to this body, and to our country. prgtoken We have 2 weeks until funding for the government runs out. Alongside our talks about extending government funding, we have also been engaged in serious bipartisan negotiations on a number of issues that should coincide with that deadline. We have to lift spending cuts, pass disaster aid, a healthcare package, reach an agreement to enshrine DACA protections alongside additional border security, and of course there is the issue of 702 as well. prgtoken Those negotiations, though difficult, have been proceeding quite well. In fact, the four congressional leaders met with representatives from the White House last Thursday and had an encouraging meeting. Unfortunately, following that meeting, the White House issued a series of unreasonable demands entirely outside the scope of our ongoing negotiations about DACA and border security. It is part of a pattern of behavior on the part of this White House during sensitive bipartisan negotiations. prgtoken Over the past year, the White House has much more frequently been a disruptive force rather than a unifying force. To throw down a list from the hard-line wing of the White House at the last minute is not a very fortuitous or smart thing to do. prgtoken I hope we can keep on the track that we were on because the issues we are facing are mounting, and a major deal requires dedicated, bipartisan effort. are going to keep working toward a global agreement with our colleagues, one that lifts the spending caps for defense and urgent domestic priorities in tandem, that sends our men and women in uniform the support they need, and that puts a downpayment on tackling the pressing issues here at home, such as combating the opioid epidemic, improving veterans' healthcare, and shoring up pension plans. These are every bit as important as helping our troops. prgtoken Our troops are extremely important, but we are a great country, and we don't have to say: To help the troops, we can't help the victims of opioid addiction. To help the troops, we can't help the veterans who once were troops themselves. To help the troops, we can't help working Americans keep the pensions they paid into year after year. All these folks want is to retire to a life of some degree of dignity. prgtoken When the majority leader said this morning that he is not for parity, he is saying we can't do both. He is telling victims of opioid addiction, many of whom are soldiers who have PTSD, and he is telling pensioners--some miners in his own State--and he is telling veterans who have to wait in line for healthcare that this country can't do bo
TRIBUTE TO GEORGE C. WRIGHT, JR.
Lisa Blunt Rochester (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-1-8

I rise today to honor the remarkable life of trailblazer and Delaware icon, George C. Wright, Jr. prgtoken From humble beginnings in Chesapeake City, Maryland, George began his education in a one-room schoolhouse and excelled as an accomplished relay racer. Following the competition of his schooling, George was drafted into the United States Army, where he served in one of the first integrated units. prgtoken After transitioning from the armed forces to civilian life, George continued his life of service at Dover Air Force Base in a career that spanned 33 years. His tenure began by offloading trucks in the Aerial Port section of the base and led to his serving as the Chief of Staff for the Civilian Personnel Office's Affirmative Employment Section, the second most senior non-military position at Dover. prgtoken George was a dedicated public servant who built bridges and found common ground while serving for 12 years on the Smyrna Town Council. In 1981, he overcame the odds by becoming mayor of Smyrna by twenty votes--making history as the first African American to lead a Delaware municipality. George dutifully served his town for 14 years as mayor and ran unopposed in every re-election race--highlighting the faith his community placed in him George's work in government inspired him to help Delaware's other 57 cities and towns through his role as executive director of the League of Local Governments and as a board member of the National League of Cities. prgtoken George was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great- grandfather and was an active member of Bethel AME Church in Smyrna. He will be missed by family members, friends, and neighbors alike for his community leadership and the role model he became for young people across Delaware. prgtoken We are deeply saddened by the loss of George, and I want to express my deep gratitude for his service to our state, commitment to bettering the lives of those he served, and for breaking down barriers that allowed me and many others to follow in his footsteps.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2018-1-8

on December 13, 2017 and December 14, 2017, I was absent from the House and missed rollcall votes 676 through 684. Had I been present for rollcall 676, on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 658, providing for consideration of H.R. 1638, the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act, and providing for consideration of H.R. 4324, the Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall 677, on agreeing to the resolution, H. Res. 658, Providing for consideration of H.R. 1638, the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act, and providing for consideration of H.R. 4324, the Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall 678, on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 657, providing for consideration of H.R. 2396, the Privacy Notification Technical Clarifications Act; and providing for consideration of H.R. 4015, the Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act of 2017, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall 679, on agreeing to the resolution on H. Res. 657, providing for consideration of H.R. 2396, the Privacy Notification Technical Clarifications Act; and providing for consideration of H.R. 4015, the Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act of 2017, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall 680, on passage of H.R. 1638, the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall 681, on motion to recommit with instructions for H.R. 2396, the Privacy Notification Technical Clarification Act, I would have voted ``Aye.'' Had I been present for rollcall 682, on passage of H.R. 2396, the Privacy Notification Technical Clarification Act, I would have voted ``No.'' Had I been present for rollcall 683, on motion to recommit with instructions for H.R. 4324, the Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act, I would have voted ``Aye.'' Had I been present for rollcall 684, on passage of H.R. 4324, the Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act, I would have voted ``No.''
Children's Health Insurance Program (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-1-8

I rise to talk about another matter that will be before us in the days ahead. It should not be before us as it should have been done many months ago. In fact, if you want to count it by days, it should have been done about 100 days ago, as we have heard. That is the Children's Health Insurance Program, known by the acronym CHIP. prgtoken Most Americans know what the CHIP program is. It is a program that became Federal law a little more than 20 years ago in order to provide an opportunity for healthcare for those families whose incomes were a little bit too high, maybe, to have their children enrolled in Medicaid but those families did not have their children's healthcare paid for by their employers. You had a lot of families--a lot of middle-income families or families near middle income--who were caught in between and didn't have opportunities for healthcare. So CHIP was passed. For the most part, it was bipartisan. All of these years now--decades later--it remains bipartisan, but it is not reauthorized. Probably, the only two numbers I will get into tonight are 9 and 180. What do I mean by that? I will start with Pennsylvania. prgtoken So ``180'' means 180,000. That is the number of children, roughly, who were enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program as of December of 2017. If you look at it over the course of a year--of children becoming eligible and then maybe moving off of CHIP to some other insurance or having other changes--in Pennsylvania, roughly, in the last year, 340,000 children benefited, at one time or another, but the monthly number was 180,000 children just in prgtoken Pennsylvania, and ``9'' was representative of the 9 million children across the country who were enrolled in CHIP. When we have all of these debates about what has to get done in the next couple of days and between now and the middle part of January, I hope that 9 million number will be uppermost in people's minds. Included within that are 180,000 children in Pennsylvania. prgtoken This is really not about a number or a program. It is about real people, real people's lives. Every Member of the Senate has a constituent he could tell a story about or hundreds, if not thousands, of stories. I will just tell one tonight about a mom whom I met not too long ago, just about a week ago, Jennie Sheeks. Jennie is from Upper Makefield, PA. That is Bucks County, Southeastern Pennsylvania, just north of the city of Philadelphia. prgtoken Jennie told us about her son Kam-au. Kam-au is 8 years old, and he is enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program. His brother and his sister have special needs and are Medicaid beneficiaries. So, in one family, you have an example of one child, thankfully, benefiting from the CHIP program and then two other members of that same family benefiting either from CHIP or the Medicaid Program. Thank goodness those programs are in place. Without CHIP and Medicaid, Jennie said her
REMEMBERING DEPUTY SHERIFF DANIEL MCCARTNEY
Denny Heck (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-1-8

last night, after many of us went to bed, one of my constituents called 911. It was everyone's worst nightmare: an intruder in the house. prgtoken But then a superhero appeared, in the dark and in the cold, in the form of Pierce County Deputy Sheriff Daniel McCartney: a husband, a father of three, and a son. prgtoken His bravery last night was just one of thousands of times he protected us, having served 10 years in uniform as a police officer and 7 years in the Navy. His bravery last night cost him his life, as he was gunned down by the intruder. prgtoken We are all shocked and saddened by his loss. We share our grief with his family, friends, and his brothers and sisters in blue. Some of them will do Deputy McCartney's patrol tonight, in the dark and in the cold, and they will come running when we need them. prgtoken Not everyone can do what they do. These are special people with special skills and with special abilities. prgtoken May the life of Deputy Sheriff McCartney remain special to all of us.
Children's Health Insurance Program (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-1-8

I come to the floor this afternoon to mark a milestone no Senator can be proud of and a milestone every Senator should regret. That milestone is, it has now been 100 days since the Congress failed to extend full funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. The Congress has always looked at this in a bipartisan way. This is for the millions of families, for kids who walk an economic tightrope with their families, the families who balance the rent bill against the fuel bill and the fuel bill against the grocery bill. prgtoken I have to say, there was plenty of time in the last Congress to carry out the priorities of the multinational corporations. The people who are well connected, the people who are powerful received permanent, substantial, really massive new tax breaks, and yet the 9 million kids, including 80,000 in my home State who count on CHIP to stay healthy-- what they received was a patch. They received something temporary. They received something that didn't resemble the permanent, you-can-count- on-it tax relief the multinational corporations were celebrating at the end of the year. It is a sad statement about the priorities of the Congress at the end of last year and one I hope we will move now in the bipartisan tradition of this program to pass on a permanent basis. prgtoken The CHIP program was created in 1997 through a simple idea: No child, regardless of their income, family's status, or geography should go without quality, affordable healthcare. It serves families who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but also don't have access to affordable healthcare through their employer. A lot of these families go back and forth between CHIP and Medicaid, depending on whether a spouse is out of work. prgtoken CHIP covers all kinds of essential healthcare for kids from preventive services to dental checkups, to treatment for serious illnesses. For families across the country, that is peace of mind, that is the chance to go to bed at night knowing you aren't going to get crushed by big medical bills in the morning. It means you don't have to have those heartbreaking, right-before-bed conversations about what you are going to do for your sick child, and it doesn't mean you have to just plan on the unexpected emergencies with nowhere to turn. All of that is at risk because of the ``negligence'' of this Congress, and I use that word specifically. prgtoken I talked about the skewed priorities at the end of the year, but right now States are stretching their Children's Health Insurance Program dollars to the breaking point. They are trying to make sure kids stay covered, and what we are faced with is termination notices going out. We have to prevent those termination notices for these families. As I said, Congress put a patch on all this, contrasting this to the permanent relief of the multinationals, and the Congress sent a small amount of money to the States to keep them afloat, but
INTRODUCTION OF THE BUILD AMERICA ACT OF 2018
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-1-8

I rise today to introduce the Build America Act of 2018, legislation that will significantly increase the size and scope of two very successful merit-based infrastructure grant programs without adding a penny to the national debt. Specifically, this legislation would remove the Capital Investment Grant Program (CIG), also known as New Starts/Small Starts, and the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant Program (TIGER Grants) from the annual appropriations process, establishing them as mandatory programs with permanent and expanded funding. My bill proposes to increase TIGER funding to $3 billion prgtoken annually, and to increase CIG funding to $9 billion. prgtoken These grants have helped local communities prioritize their own projects; however they have been chronically underfunded in the past. For instance, since 2009, Congress has dedicated nearly $5.1 billion for eight rounds of TIGER funding, yet the program received $10.1 billion in applications in FY2015 alone. The process is competitive, and allows the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reward applicants that exceed eligibility criteria and demonstrate significant non-Federal funding commitments. prgtoken By increasing these funding levels and removing the programs from the annual appropriations process, we will take the guesswork and uncertainty out of the programs. This in turn will allow communities around the country to submit funding requests for merit-based awards for projects of national, regional, or metropolitan-area significance. The projects include construction and repair of roads, bridges, and tunnels, the installation of high speed internet, revitalization of drinking water, and the construction and expansion of fixed-guideway public transportation systems, including subways, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit (BRT). prgtoken Mr , we have talked about prioritizing a large-scale infrastructure package for years. Congressional recently unveiled a trillion-dollar plan to make these investments and create tens of thousands of jobs. However, like so many other proposals, it was rejected out of hand by the Majority. Despite controlling the House, the Senate, and the White House, the Majority has not yet offered any plan of their own. All the while, the situation continues to grow worse. prgtoken Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers' issues a ``Report Card'' for America's Infrastructure. The report depicts the condition and performance of American infrastructure, assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement across 16 major infrastructure categories. The most recent report card was issued last year. Among the national rankings, transit systems were rated a D- and roads were rated a D. prgtoken Dams: D. prgtoken Drinking water: D. prgtoken Inland waterways: D. prgtoken Levees: D. prgtoken We need to move this process forward