mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REDUCING UNNECESSARY BARRIERS FOR RELATIVE FOSTER PARENTS ACT
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-6-20

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on H.R. 2866, the Reducing Unnecessary Barriers for Relative Foster Parents Act, introduced by my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker). prgtoken Introducing this legislation, Congressman Smucker was joined by our Ways and Means colleague, Congresswoman Terri Sewell from across the aisle. The bill has strong bipartisan support, including mine. I am a cosponsor. And the Child Welfare League of America has strongly endorsed this legislation. prgtoken So what does this bill do? Well, in short, the bill will reduce the bureaucratic process for placing children in foster care with relatives, when possible, and is in the best interest of the child. prgtoken Now, this just makes common sense. Last year alone, there were almost a half million children in foster care, more than 16,000 children in my home State of Pennsylvania alone. Now, there are countless family members of these foster children who are not only willing, but they are ready to have these children placed in their homes when one of their relatives can't take care of them. prgtoken As a matter of good public policy, we should be making the placement process much easier for family members, not more difficult, because it is often in the best interest of the child. prgtoken Studies show that placing foster children with relatives solves many of the problems children face when being placed into foster care; moreover, it improves the outcomes for these children. Children are more likely to succeed when they can stay with a family member of their own and someone they are already familiar with and know. Children placed with relatives tend to spend less time in foster care and also experience much more stability. prgtoken The problem is that, while current law allows States to waive certain licensing standards when placing children with relatives, many States have been slow to implement the law. One of the purported reasons is that caseworkers are slow or they simply don't know how to place children with relatives because of a lack of training on their part. prgtoken Today, caseworkers may not be adequately trained regarding their ability to waive certain standards when licensing relatives. This has resulted in delays in placing children with relatives. prgtoken And when these children are already facing a tremendous amount of turmoil and uncertainty in their lives, we shouldn't be tying them up in bureaucratic red tape. We need to do more to place these children with a loving family member whenever possible. prgtoken Now, how do we do that? Well, Representative Smucker's bill, H.R. 2866, will help remedy this problem by making our foster care system more family prgtoken friendly, by ensuring States take proactive steps to speed up the licensing process for relatives. prgtoken Specifically, the bill would require Health and Human Services to identify reputable model st
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
Doug Lamborn (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-6-20

I rise today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Focus on the Family, a vital American institution dedicated to preserving one of our country's most foundational pillars--the family. Forty years ago, there were dire warning signs of the erosion of the family and the Judeo-Christian roots that have brought such benefit and blessing to the United States of America, and to the entire world. Dr. James Dobson saw these threats and could not ignore them. In Psalm 11:3, King David asks, ``When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?'' That question has been viewed by some as a lament--a rhetorical question that signals defeat or resignation. But others take it as a rallying cry--to weigh that question, to search one's heart, and to resolve to do something about the foundations that are being destroyed. It was in this spirit that Dr. James Dobson founded Focus on the Family. Instead of retreating or shrugging off the problem to the next generation, Focus on the Family has proven what the righteous can truly do. Under the vision and leadership of Dr. Dobson and more recently Jim Daly, by the grace of God, incredible things have been accomplished to preserve, promote, and protect the family. It would be impossible to quantify the full impact that Focus on the Family has had in our own nation as well as across the world. We do know that thousands of marriages have been revived, prodigal sons and daughters have been brought home, life changes have been successfully navigated, young adults have been equipped, children have been lovingly discipled, and families have been encouraged and strengthened. I do want to highlight a significant impact that can be quantified. Through Focus on the Family's Option Ultrasound, over 720 grants have been awarded to pregnancy centers to purchase ultrasound machines. As a direct result, over 382,000 lives have been saved by mothers choosing life over abortion. In Colorado Springs, our local pregnancy centers have benefitted greatly from the generosity of Focus on the Family. Many of the materials given to women facing unexpected pregnancies come from Focus. In fact, since Life Network obtained its very first ultrasound machine through Focus on the Family, over 2000 women who have seen their babies on ultrasounds have chosen life. What an incalculable, multi- generational blessing. Although Focus on the Family was founded in California, we are glad that they saw the light and relocated to Colorado Springs when they did in 1991. I wonder for how many children around the country--even the world--their first knowledge of Colorado Springs is through Adventures in Odyssey. It is truly a privilege to celebrate with Focus on the Family on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. Focus on the Family has fortified our families and our country, and for that, I am truly grateful.
ELIMINATE NEW YORK STATE MEDICAID MANDATE
Claudia Tenney (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-6-20

. I want to mention one thing that I think is really important. Both Congressman Faso and I served as members of the State Assembly prior to serving in Congress. One thing that we both know is that we are truly interested in helping people who are needy. prgtoken It isn't about the people who are truly needy; it is about the people who are abusing the system and taking resources that are desperately needed by our seniors and by people who really are, as I said, truly needy. This is a way of providing more resources to them without having the fraud, the abuse and waste, the mismanagement in Albany, and forcing Albany into being more fiscally conservative, protecting our counties so that we can provide those services for our communities. prgtoken I just want to make sure that we characterize that, because that is something that we all care about as people who take an oath of office, not just to uphold our Federal Constitution but also our State constitution. We take that seriously. prgtoken I know we are all committed to helping those people, but also remembering that we need to respect the taxpayers. The taxpayers need to have proper management of their funds. prgtoken I want to commend the gentleman for his work and efforts in making sure this comes to the floor and making sure we get this passed on the Federal prgtoken level, because it has been a struggle for all of us through many years. Having this come to reality is going to be, honestly, one of the greatest mandate relief packages that I have experienced in my lifetime, and I am grateful.
NOMINATION OBJECTION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-6-20

I intend to object to any unanimous consent request at the present time relating to the nomination of Steven A. Engel, of the District of Columbia, to be the Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel until Mr. Engel responds to questions I posed to him in a June 12, 2017, letter concerning a May 1, 2017, opinion by the Office of Legal Counsel entitled, ``Authority of Individual Members of Congress to Conduct Oversight of the Executive Branch.'' prgtoken The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Mr. Engel's nomination on June prgtoken 8, 2017, and my objection is not intended to question the credentials of Mr. Engel in any way. However, at that time, no member had sufficient opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Engel concerning the May 1, 2017, OLC opinion. I believe each Member of my committee and of the Senate should have the benefit of his views on the opinion as they consider his nomination to lead the office that created it. prgtoken The opinion erroneously states that individual Members of Congress are not constitutionally authorized to conduct oversight. It creates a false distinction between oversight and what it calls ``nonoversight'' requests, and it relegates requests from individual Members for information from the Executive branch to Freedom of Information Act requests. I have written a letter to the President requesting that the OLC opinion be rescinded. The Executive branch should properly recognize that individual Members of Congress have a constitutional role in seeking information from the Executive branch and should work to voluntarily accommodate those requests. prgtoken My June 12, 2017, letter to Mr. Engel asks him several questions about the opinion, including whether the opinion met the OLC's own internal standards requiring impartial analysis, whether individual Members of Congress are ``authorized'' to seek information from the Executive branch, and what level of deference the Executive branch should provide to individual Member requests. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record following my remarks. I look forward to Mr. Engel's responses.
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-6-20

we have been debating Care's failures and what to do about them for so many years now. We have heard so many distress stories from constituents who have been hurt. Thankfully, the Senate will soon have the chance to turn the page on this failed law. prgtoken As I said yesterday, the entire Senate conference has been active and engaged on legislation to move beyond the failures of Care for quite some time. We have had many productive discussions on the way forward. We are united in our belief that the American people deserve better than Care's unsustainable status quo. prgtoken While it is disappointing that our ic colleagues decided early on that they didn't want to work seriously with us on finding solutions, Senate s remain focused on the following: stabilizing insurance markets, which are collapsing under Care; improving the affordability of health insurance, which is spiking under Care; freeing Americans from Care's mandates, which force them to buy insurance they don't want; strengthening Medicaid for those who need it the most; and preserving access to care for patients with preexisting conditions. prgtoken Insurance markets are collapsing under Care. We want to stabilize them. Care's champions said that the law would bring more healthcare choices, but for far too many, just the opposite has occurred. In the years since Care's passage, we have read story after story about co-ops collapsing, insurers fleeing, families losing the plans they liked, and trusted doctors and hospitals slipping out of reach. prgtoken Today Care is nearing full collapse. Americans in nearly one of every two counties could find themselves left with just one option under Care next year--which of course really isn't a choice at all--or even worse, find themselves without any option, period. This long-term Care trend is not sustainable. We have to act, and we are. prgtoken Healthcare costs are spiking under Care. We want to improve affordability. Care's champions said that the law would make healthcare more affordable, but for too many just the opposite has occurred. prgtoken In the years since Care's passage, we have received so many calls and letters from families who have been hit with soaring out-of- pocket costs and skyrocketing premiums. In fact, a recent Health and Human Services report showed that premiums in the individual market rose by an average of 105 percent since the law was fully implemented in 2013. prgtoken Today the situation continues to spiral out of control. Americans in States across the country could find themselves facing more double- digit premium increases next year--as high as 30 percent, we learned just yesterday, in Washington State or 32 percent in North Carolina or 40 percent in Maine. prgtoken Another recent report found that nearly 2 million Americans who selected an Care plan en
Introductory Statement on S. 1383
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-6-20

ensuring that more Americans are better prepared financially for their retirement is one of my top priorities. prgtoken That is why I rise to reintroduce with my colleague, Senator Nelson, the Retirement Security Act of 2017. Our bill would encourage more small employers to offer retirement plans, provide incentives for employees to save more for retirement, and make it easier for low- and middle-income taxpayers to claim tax benefits for retirement savings already authorized in law. prgtoken According to the non-partisan Center for Retirement Research, there is an estimated $7.7 trillion gap between the savings American households need to maintain their standard of living in retirement and what they actually have. A recent Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of working Americans believe that they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement. We must continue to work to ensure that more Americans will have the resources they need to enjoy their ``golden years.'' prgtoken The Social Security Administration's most recent report noted that 61 percent of all beneficiaries rely on Social Security for more than half of their income. Many seniors in my State rely almost entirely on Social Security to cover their monthly expenses, despite the fact that the average annual benefit is only about $16,000 per year. It is hard to imagine stretching those dollars far enough to pay the bills-- certainly a ``comfortable retirement'' is out of the question. prgtoken Sadly, they fare no better when it comes to savings: a survey by the Federal Reserve found that nearly half of individuals do not have enough savings to cover an emergency expense of $400. That is not even enough to buy new tires for a car. For this reason, among others, Americans need to increase their personal savings so that we can better weather financial emergencies without raiding our retirement accounts. prgtoken There are many reasons why Americans have struggled to save for retirement, including the shift away from employer-based ``defined benefit'' plans, or pensions; the severity of the recent financial crisis; rising health care costs; the need for expensive long-term care; and most of all, the fact that Americans are living far longer than they did in the past. Many Americans reaching retirement age also have more debt than retirees of previous generations. prgtoken Another contributing factor is that employees of small businesses are much less likely to participate in employer-based retirement plans. According to a study by the PEW Charitable Trusts, more than 30 million U.S. workers lack access to a work-based plan to save for retirement. prgtoken Making it easier for smaller businesses to offer retirement plans for their workers would make a significant difference in the financial security of many Americans. That is why the bill we are introducing today focuses on reducing the cost and complexity of retirement plans, especi
Coup Attempt in Montenegro (Executive Calendar)
John McCain (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-6-20

every indication, I would say to my friend from Florida, a most valued member of the Armed Services Committee, they will continue to try to interfere in any election they possibly can. They are spending large amounts of money. They have certainly, to some degree, undermined confidence between countries in the NATO alliance, and that, coupled with the degree of uncertainty here in Washington, has probably put as great a strain on the NATO alliance as you have seen since its very beginning. from Florida.
ELIMINATE NEW YORK STATE MEDICAID MANDATE
Tom Reed (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-6-20

. Well, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentlemen, Mr. Faso and Mr. Collins, for their leadership on this issue. prgtoken , in my district, the 23rd Congressional District, where we sit on the border of the State of Pennsylvania, when you talk about the tax burden that is placed on my hardworking residents that are struggling, that are trying to pay utility bills, that are trying to pay for food to put on their tables, that are trying to take care of their families and put their kids through school, when you talk about a tax burden that is driven by the Medicaid shift in New York State to the local level, at our county level--a very unique circumstance across the country--to the tune of $145 million a year in each of the counties I represent, that type of burden is not sustainable. prgtoken I thank the leadership of Mr. Faso and Mr. Collins for looking for a solution in the American Health Care Act that will alleviate this, that will once and for all shift this burden from our hardworking citizens, our hardworking taxpayers in western New York back to where it belongs: to our State capital, our State capital where they have mandated, under the Federal Medicaid program, essentially every optional service that is authorized under the program; where you see numbers in New York State where we spend approximately $4,000 per enrollee versus California, another State that has invested tremendously in expanding Medicaid and Medicaid services, at $2,500; where you see reports that in New York State our average costs are 44 percent, in New York State, under Medicaid spending than the national average. prgtoken And then you look at small things that do add up: taxi services that are reimbursed under Medicaid in New York State to the tune of $2.20 a mile every hardworking resident in my district that is watching tonight knows that if they go to submit a mileage reimbursement to their employer or they go and try to get reimbursement from their local government that they work at, they are getting 55 cents or maybe 53.5 cents. That money adds up. prgtoken You also see a Medicaid program in New York that is ripe with waste, fraud, and abuse; and by putting that $145 million tax burden on our local taxpayers, our counties cannot address that waste, fraud, and abuse. That can only be done in our State capital. So I think it is only right that we put the burden on our State capital, who has the authority, the flexibility, and the ability to address these issues, to have to deal with this burden at the same time they can implement solutions. prgtoken If our Governor so chooses to make this type of waste, fraud, and abuse rampant through Medicaid, that is his choice. But he shouldn't put it on our backs, our local residents' backs, to the tune of $145 million of taxpayer dollars that they have no ability to address at the local level. prgtoken I also remember, vividly, a story from one of our first respond
STREAMLINING DHS OVERHEAD ACT
John H. Rutherford (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-6-20

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2190, the Streamlining DHS Overhead Act. prgtoken Despite being the Nation's third largest Federal department, the Department of Homeland Security continues to struggle with challenges from its integration of 22 different Federal departments and agencies. prgtoken One example of these challenges is the Department's management of its real estate portfolio. DHS pays $2 billion a year to occupy more than 100 million square feet of space. Weak internal oversight and a lack of property management processes have further intensified the problem. prgtoken Collaboration and coordination is important in these instances, and doing nothing has led to a footprint larger than what DHS needs to carry out its mission. prgtoken This legislation directly addresses these challenges by mandating the development of regional real property strategies that focus on consolidating leases, where appropriate, to the mission. It also gives the Under Secretary for Management oversight tools to ensure DHS property is being managed efficiently. prgtoken Another important part of this legislation is its outlining of responsibilities for the Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer to achieve cost savings. prgtoken As we have seen from the 2-year majority staff investigation, increased accountability and promoting efficiency is needed so DHS can more effectively use its resources to focus on its mission of securing the homeland while also saving taxpayer funds. prgtoken Improving the Department's operation and promoting efficiencies within its real property portfolio is an issue that both sides of the aisle and the Department should be able to work together on. prgtoken H.R. 2190 is commonsense legislation. I urge my colleagues' support. prgtoken .
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-6-20

it is hard to argue that Care is not a failing law. Seven years after it became law, its laundry list of problems continues to grow: higher premiums, higher deductibles, customers losing healthcare plans, patients losing doctors, fewer choices, failed co-ops, unraveling exchanges. And, unfortunately, without action, that list will only get longer and the consequences will only become more severe. s know that. know that. Unfortunately, many Americans know it firsthand. prgtoken The American people deserve better, and they rightly expect us to act. That prgtoken is why choosing to watch from the sidelines as Care fails is not an option. prgtoken To say that Care has created significant problems for the American people is an understatement. That is why Senate s are working to fix the mess created by Care to provide real solutions to this failed law. We want to save the millions of hard- working families who are trapped by Care's taxes and mandates. prgtoken Average annual individual market premiums have increased by $2,928-- an increase of 105 percent--since 2013 in the 39 States that use healthcare.gov. And 62 percent of States using healthcare.gov, including my home State of South Dakota, saw premiums double between 2013 and 2017. We will help stabilize these collapsing insurance markets that have left millions of Americans with little or no options. prgtoken Today, one in three counties has only one insurer on its Care exchange. According to CMS, 47 counties nationwide are projected to have no insurers, which means Americans in these counties could be without coverage on the exchanges for 2018. As many as 1,200 counties-- nearly 40 percent of counties nationwide--could have only one issuer in 2018. It is hard to argue that you have a market, that you have competition, when you have one option. That is 40 percent of the counties in America in 2018. prgtoken We will improve the affordability of healthcare by eliminating the Care taxes and mandates that are causing premiums to increase the most. These taxes and mandates have cost the American economy $1 trillion--a cost that was ultimately incurred by patients in the form of higher costs and larger tax bills. Reversing these taxes will provide millions of American families and businesses with much needed tax relief. prgtoken We will also preserve access to care for individuals with preexisting conditions. There has been a lot of debate and misinformation, I might add, about this issue over the past few months. In the Senate, we will ensure that individuals with preexisting conditions continue to have access to the care they depend upon. prgtoken We will also safeguard Medicaid by giving States more flexibility, while ensuring that those who rely on this program will not have the rug pulled out from under them. States should have the flexibility to design and operate Medicaid programs in a