mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Opioid Epidemic (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-17

. This opioid epidemic wasn't started by some runaway virus. They were decisions made by real people to flood America's towns and streets with ``a blizzard of prescriptions,'' as Richard Sackler of Purdue Pharma put it in his own words. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry in the United States produced 14 billion opioid pills in 2016 alone--enough opioid pills for every adult in America to have a 3-week supply of opioids. Who would approve the production of 14 billion opioid pills in 1 year, 2016? It turned out it was your government. The Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States of America is responsible for determining and basically giving a license for the production of a specific amount of opioid pills allowed to be distributed to the market each year. prgtoken It is the Drug Enforcement Administration--of all agencies--that establishes annual production quotas for opioids that are, effectively, the gatekeepers for pharma. Pharma, of course, wants to produce as much as possible in order to sell as much as possible. The Drug Enforcement Administration is supposed to draw the line. Yet, for all of these years, while we have faced this epidemic, our government--the Drug Enforcement Administration--has been increasing the production quotas each year for opioid pills. prgtoken Between 1993 and 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration allowed the production of oxycodone to increase in America 39 times--from 3\1/ 2\ tons of opioids in 1993 to 151 tons of opioids in 2015. It is the same story for hydrocodone, which increased twelvefold, and for fentanyl, which increased twenty-fivefold. prgtoken I pressed those in the Drug Enforcement Administration on this issue. I asked them how they could possibly approve of these ever-increasing quotas while America faced this epidemic. How did they reconcile their decision to flood America with these drugs at a time in which they were being abused and when addiction was leading to death all across our country? prgtoken Last year, I passed bipartisan legislation. I and Senator John Kennedy, a from Louisiana, gave those at the Drug Enforcement Administration more authority to set commonsense production levels. It is hard to believe we had to do that--to actually bring to their attention that they were authorizing the production of opioid pills for an America that was facing the worst opioid epidemic in its history. prgtoken Previously, those at the Drug Enforcement Administration could only look at what pharma asked for when it determined quotas. In other words, they believed, officially, that they had statutory blinders by which they couldn't even consider the impact of pharma's annual request for production. So Senator Kennedy and I, on a bipartisan basis, changed the law to require the Drug Enforcement Administration to consider abuse, overdose deaths, and the impact on public health. prgtoken Finally, between 2016 and 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administ
RECOMMENDING THAT THE HOUSE FIND WILLIAM P. BARR AND WILBUR L. ROSS, JR., IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS
Stacey E. Plaskett (Democrat, VI) \u2014 2019-7-17

. Madam , I want to respond first to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the minority leader, when he talked about us doing work. He asked us if work was being done here in Congress and said that we weren't responding to the daily needs of America. prgtoken Madam , I would remind him and remind the that we, in fact, have passed the Violence Against Women Act in the Judiciary Committee. The Energy and Commerce Committee passed the prescription drug bill that came to this floor. The Energy and Commerce Committee is working on Medicaid as we speak, right now. prgtoken So 150 bills have been passed by this body and are sitting on the desk of his friend, the Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, who has decided that he is not interested in the work of the people of the United States. prgtoken But guess what. We can walk and chew gum at the same time, as I have said. This committee's responsibility is oversight, not anything else. And that is what we are doing is oversight of this administration. prgtoken I know that is difficult for that side of the aisle to want to think about, overseeing and reining in individuals who may be acting outside of the law. prgtoken Last year when Secretary Ross testified before Congress, he said he added the citizenship question solely to help the Department of Justice enforce the Voting Rights Act. We understand now that may not have been true. prgtoken And he has given us unresponsive--that is a legal term--unresponsive documents in those thousands of documents that he has turned over to us, not the documents that we have asked for. prgtoken It is our responsibility as the Oversight Committee to hold individuals responsible. I would ask that my colleagues across the aisle consider their responsibility on this committee if you want to sit on the committee, to do the work of the committee, and that is overseeing this administration. I think that we have done our job, and we are doing it well. prgtoken Madam , if he has not been responsive, we must hold him in contempt.
``APOLLO 11'' CELEBRATION
Kendra S. Horn (Democrat, OK) \u2014 2019-7-17

this week, we celebrate one of the most remarkable moments in human history: The launch of the Apollo 11 lunar mission, and the first steps on the Moon by American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. American leadership, ingenuity, and investment made this moment possible 50 years ago. prgtoken As the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee chairwoman, I am honored to be joined by my colleagues today to recognize this achievement and talk about what it means, 50 years later. As we commemorate this historic accomplishment, it is clear that we stand on the shoulders of space pioneers, some of whom are still with us today. prgtoken Apollo 11 and Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface were the culmination of a focused, methodical buildup of the developments, demonstrations, and operational capabilities needed to achieve the Moon landing. prgtoken The value of the Apollo program is beyond measure. Its mission inspired and continues to draw countless Americans into science, technology, engineering and math. This program led to significant technological advances and products that changed the world as we know it and benefit our lives today. prgtoken Fundamentally, the success of Apollo contributed to our standing in the world. Apollo taught us the value of taking audacious, and yet intentional risks. prgtoken I would like to focus, as well, for a moment, on the mission that immediately preceded the Moon landing, Apollo 10. This mission, launched 2 months before, was launched to test all of the components and procedures just short of landing. Carrying the lunar module, it came as close as 50,000 feet from the lunar surface before returning safely to Earth. prgtoken Retired Air Force General Thomas P. Stafford, an Oklahoman, commanded this essential mission that enabled us to land on the Moon. prgtoken General Stafford was born in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1952, graduating with honors. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, he completed advanced interceptor training and served tours of duty flying F-86Ds. He then graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School as the outstanding graduate. prgtoken Throughout his career, Stafford flew more than 100 different types of aircraft as he pushed the boundaries of achievement in air and space. Stafford was selected as an astronaut in 1962 and, 3 years later, flew on Gemini 6 as the first space rendezvous mission, followed by Gemini 9. prgtoken Later, General Stafford commanded the first international space flight mission, Apollo-Soyuz. This peaceful cooperation between two Cold War rivals was the first step in what has become a sustained relationship between the U.S Russia, and our international partners with the International Space Station. prgtoken The last of the Apollo missions, its lasting impacts, reminds us that even in times of warfare and global distress, that space
Remembering John Paul Stevens (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-7-17

last night, we received the news, the sad news, that Justice John Paul Stevens passed away at the age of 99. He was a son of the ``greatest generation,'' a code breaker in the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and a Shakespearean scholar. What a combination. prgtoken John Paul Stevens was the third longest serving Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court in the Nation's history. The length of his tenure meant the jurisprudence of Justice Stevens left a mark on nearly every area of the law. Just as remarkable as the length of his tenure was its quality. prgtoken Justice John Paul Stevens was a champion for civil rights, equality, and accountability, who devoted his life to the ideal of equal justice under the law. He worked to constrain the use of the death penalty, defend abortion rights, articulate the bounds of Presidential power-- very needed today--and believed that unravelling the limits on corporate campaign spending ``threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the nation.'' He was so right. prgtoken The fact that Leader McConnell and all our friends lead the charge in allowing so much corporate money--money of the very wealthy--to cascade into our system--well, Justice Stevens is in Heaven reminding them of what they are doing to faith in our democratic institutions. prgtoken Stevens was at times an iconoclast. He was willing to buck conventional approaches and have his own views evolve. One constant, however, was his courtesy. During oral arguments, he would begin with the preface: ``May I ask a question,'' as if the counsel were doing him a favor. Out of respect for the respect he paid to everyone who came before the Court, on his last day on the Bench, lawyers and spectators throughout the Supreme Court Chamber wore his signature bow tie in his honor, a more fitting tribute than anything I could say on the Senate floor. prgtoken Justice Stevens was a great man, a model jurist: wise, fair, compassionate, and caring about the little guy and gal. Our judiciary today needs more like him. There are too many on the Supreme Court who are virtually the opposite of what Stevens stood for. He will be sorely missed.
HONORING DEPUTY WILLIAM KIMBRO
Joe Cunningham (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2019-7-17

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to honor the valiant actions of Deputy William Kimbro of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office. prgtoken On June 11, Deputy Kimbro pulled over a speeding vehicle to find that 12-day-old Riley had stopped breathing. She needed immediate help, so without hesitation, Deputy Kimbro administered lifesaving care to this newborn until the first responders could arrive on the scene. prgtoken Deputy Kimbro served our Nation in the Navy for 21 years before joining the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office in 2013. A school resource officer on summer break, patrolling the road is not Deputy Kimbro's primary duty, but he acted without hesitation. For his bravery and composure, he earned Berkeley County's Life-Saving Medal. prgtoken He is a husband and father of two children. Deputy Kimbro is an all- around hero, and we are lucky to have him looking after us in the Lowcountry. He, alongside all first responders, keep the Lowcountry and this Nation a safer and better place. prgtoken Deputy Kimbro should take a bow. We are extremely proud of him.
CONGRATULATING TYKHIL GREENE ON BEING FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN VALEDICTORIAN OF UNIVERSITY ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-7-17

I rise to acknowledge Tykhil Greene. Mr. Greene is the first African American valedictorian of the University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. prgtoken Mr. Greene's hard work over the past 4 years is an incredible feat. He achieved the highest level of academic success in his class. He also received the Salutatorian Award from the Jersey City Community Middle School. These honors are so well-deserved. prgtoken At University Academy, Mr. Greene challenged himself by taking AP classes every year. Each summer, Mr. Greene worked for the Jersey City Department of Recreation. Even with this rigorous schedule, Mr. Greene had only 10 absences in 4 years. prgtoken He continues to pursue these challenges as he prepares for college. Mr. Greene will study international business and prelaw at Seton Hall University. prgtoken , I congratulate Tykhil Greene on his hard work and success. He has a very bright future ahead of him, and we are proud of him in the 10th Congressional District in the State of New Jersey.
RECOMMENDING THAT THE HOUSE FIND WILLIAM P. BARR AND WILBUR L. ROSS, JR., IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-7-17

. If the minority wants to talk about the policy, we can, but we don't need to. They have already lost repeatedly on that, and they seem not to want to acknowledge that basic fact of this discussion. prgtoken This is about congressional power, Madam , and that is something that should unify every Member of this body and institution. We must stand together. prgtoken The Supreme Court and the Federal courts have said repeatedly that our factfinding power is inextricable, essential, and indispensable to our legislative power. prgtoken We have the power of the people. The sovereign political power of the people has been given to us to legislate. We can't legislate if we can't get the information that we need. prgtoken Sometimes we disagree, when they are in the majority, with the stuff that they want. I wasn't here then, but I would have disagreed maybe with some of the Fast and Furious stuff or the millions of documents that they got in the Benghazi investigation. It makes no difference. The majority has a right to get what it wants. We have a right to get what we want. prgtoken If you act with contempt for the Congress of the United States of America and the people of the United States, we will hold you in contempt of the Congress and United States of America. I support these contempt resolutions.
BLACK CHICAGO CATHOLIC PRIEST ON THE ROAD TO SAINTHOOD
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-17

. Madam , a man who escaped slavery to become the first black Catholic Priest to establish a Black Catholic Parrish in Chicago, has come a step closer to Sainthood. The Rev. Augustus Tolton along with seven other candidates are now considered seriously on track towards Sainthood after Pope Francis signed a decree that formally recognized that they lived the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity at the Cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance at a heroic level, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Chicago. prgtoken Tolton was born in 1854 and was seven when he escaped with his Roman Catholic mother from a Missouri slave owner. Tolton's mother took her children to Illinois where Tolton began his ministry in Chicago. Tolton graduated from St. Peter's in Quincy, Illinois. A German Franciscan Priest arranged for Tolton to attend a Seminary in Rome after no U.S. Seminaries would accept a Black man. He was ordained a Priest in 1886. Three years later, Tolton began his ministry in Chicago. He established St. Monica Catholic Church in Bronzeville. He died in 1897, at the age of 43. prgtoken Upon hearing the news of Tolton's possible elevation, Cardinal Blase Culpich said in a statement, ``We welcome the news from the Holy Father on the advancement of Father Tolton's cause for Sainthood.'' His struggles to become a priest and his remarkable service to God's people are admirable examples, particularly in these times of the value and dignity of all people. Chicago is blessed to have seen the election of the first Black woman elected into the U.S. Senate, the first Black man as the President of the United States, and we look forward to the addition of the first Black Saint.
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-7-17

. Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 748, repealing the so-called Cadillac tax. prgtoken I believe that we in Congress should be incentivizing employer- sponsored insurance to be more generous, not less; and at a time when the President is working to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and pushing through regulations that allow junk plans to flourish, we need to stand with American workers and fight for more generous health plans. prgtoken The plans that are hit by this tax cover more female employees, more workers with dependent children, more older workers, and employees at small businesses. These are the people who are being hit by high deductibles, rising premiums, and more cost sharing in the health system than ever before. prgtoken A recent study showed that in 2018, 58 percent of Americans do not have $1,000 of savings in case of an emergency, and yet the average deductible in 2018 was $1,350. prgtoken We must pass this bill. prgtoken I include letters of support for H.R. 748 into the Congressional Record from organizations such as the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Alliance to Fight the 40, and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. Alliance for Retired Americans, Washington, DC, July 15, 2019. Dear Representative: On behalf of the 4.4 million members of the Alliance for Retired Americans, I am writing to urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act, when it comes up for a vote on the House floor this week. As you know, approximately 181 million Americans rely on employer-provided health insurance to pay for the medical care that they need. The 40% excise tax, originally passed as a part of the Affordable Care Act, is assessed on any health plan that provides more than $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. While intended to target high-premium plans for the wealthy to expand benefits and coverage for uninsured individuals, the tax squarely affects middle class workers and their families. Johns Hopkins University researchers projected that 75% of employer-sponsored plans will be affected by the tax. Retirees are especially vulnerable to higher health care costs and will be hurt if the tax goes into effect. Older Americans' retiree insurance plans typically have higher premiums. If not repealed, employers may reduce the benefits provided to their retirees who are younger than 65 and eliminate supplemental coverage altogether for Medicare eligible retirees age 65 and over. In addition, the tax disproportionately hurts women, low- to middle-class individuals and families, people with disabilities, workers with high-risk occupations, and those with chronic medical conditions. Many workers
CLIMATE CHANGE
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-7-17

for a long time, people opposed to climate action said that tackling climate change would be too costly, would harm economic growth, would be bad for American businesses, and would kill jobs. It turns out these were phony arguments peddled by fossil fuel interests. It turns out they are flat wrong. It turns out that actually the true economic hazard is not climate action but climate inaction. prgtoken We have recently seen an explosion of warnings from economic regulators, central banks, insurers, investment firms, and risk analysts that we face economic peril if we fail to address climate change. These are not green groups; these are neutral business and economic experts--the people whose job it is to protect us from risks to financial stability and the people who make a business calculation about what we stand to lose from unabated climate change. prgtoken Their warnings are many, and their warnings are serious. One example: Just last month, Moody's warned that climate change will increasingly disrupt and damage critical infrastructure and property and will hurt worker health and productivity across the globe. Moody's, the credit rating giant, estimated--hang on--$69 trillion. We talk about millions around here pretty readily. We talk about billions when we are talking about really big money. Moody's estimated $69 trillion of economic damage globally by 2100, even if we limit global warming to only 2 degrees Celsius. The Presiding Officer and I are probably not going to pay a lot of that. The pages will. We are not currently on track for only 2 degrees Celsius; we are currently on track for around 3 degrees of warming, which Moody's said would put us at further risk of hitting tipping points beyond which lurk far larger, more lasting, and more ominous dangers. prgtoken Here is another example: In May, the European Central Bank warned that climate change presents significant economic risks to the economy, to asset values, and to financial stability. prgtoken The longer we wait, the longer we fiddle around in this Chamber not doing anything, the more it will cost to protect ourselves in the future. That old saying about a stitch in time saving nine applies here as well. prgtoken The ECB said that these risks could cause what they called ``systemic issues,'' especially where markets do not price climate-related risks correctly. ``Systemic issues'' is a bland term. It is central banker- speak. What it means is something pretty serious. Systemic issues means this is so bad that it could take down the entire economy. The European Central Bank is not alone. The Bank of England has been warning of systemic risk from climate change or from not doing anything about climate change for some time now. I think there are now over 30 sovereign banks that have made or adopted such warnings. prgtoken Just last week, Senator Schatz asked Federal Chairman Powell whether severe weather is increasing due to climate
Climate Change (Executive Calendar)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-7-17

. Let me just show everyone this. This was made by the mothers who came to our office. What they have written is: ``Please protect the families of New Hampshire from air pollution and climate change. Moms Clean Air Force.'' You are able to see all of the folks who were with the delegation and who visited my office to sign this because everyone is concerned about what the impact is going to be on their families and on their communities if we don't address climate change. prgtoken .
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-7-17

. Madam , I support this legislation, H.R. 748. prgtoken During our discussions on health reform in 2009, many of us strongly opposed the excise tax on so-called Cadillac employer-provided health plans. We were successful in keeping it out of the House version of the bill, but we all know it ended up in the final bill. It has been delayed since then, but now it is enactment time. This is imminent. We need to do something now. prgtoken The Cadillac tax would impact employers and families whose health insurance plans cost more than $11,100 for an individual and $29,750 for family coverage. This is not a small universe, and the effects will be highly negative. prgtoken If we do nothing, this tax would fall squarely on employees, encouraging employers to shift away from tax-free health benefits to taxable wages. prgtoken As deductibles have risen more than 200 percent in the employer- sponsored insurance plans, the cost of care has continued to grow while wages remain flat. We must ensure that employers can continue to provide high-quality healthcare. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan repeal of the Cadillac tax.