mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-1-13

I rise in strong opposition to this reckless budget resolution. Congress had an opportunity to start on a bipartisan note, to work on creating jobs, building an economy that works for everyone, and investing in our infrastructure. Instead, House s are ringing in the new year by repealing the Affordable Care Act, stripping more than 20 million people of their health insurance. What is worse, there is still no plan for what comes next, threatening massive disruption to the entire healthcare system. prgtoken I offered a number of amendments to this legislation, none of which were allowed a vote today. My amendments would have stopped this dangerous process from moving forward if the budget reduces access to treatment for those suffering from addiction, reduces access to health care in rural areas, forces seniors to pay more for care, or privatizes Medicare. I also cosponsored an amendment by Congresswoman Lee to protect women's access to reproductive health and family planning services. prgtoken Apparently, the majority is not concerned with these issues. Before the ACA, the situation was unacceptable. It was a time when people went bankrupt because they got sick, when individuals with preexisting medical conditions found it virtually impossible to obtain affordable coverage. prgtoken But now, more than 120 million Americans with preexisting conditions are no longer denied coverage, and young adults can stay on their parents' plans until they are 26. prgtoken Over 10 million seniors have received help with their prescription drug payments, and all insurance plans are required to cover preventative services with no copayments. prgtoken Rather than focusing on commonsense reforms to strengthen the ACA, s want to eliminate vital lifesaving policy with no plan for what comes next. I strongly urge a ``no'' vote.
WE ARE MAKING A MISTAKE IF WE REPEAL OBAMACARE
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-1-13

the Affordable Care Act has improved the health care and financial security of every American, regardless of where he or she gets health insurance. prgtoken Healthcare costs have been growing at the slowest rate in more than 50 years. Seniors in the so-called Medicare doughnut hole have saved more than $23 billion on their prescription drugs. Every American woman can rest easier knowing that women are no longer charged more than men for the same coverage. And 137 million Americans with private insurance now receive free preventive services. prgtoken Despite this remarkable progress, the majority has made it their mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act, no matter the cost, and those costs would extend far beyond the healthcare system. prgtoken A recent report found that repeal would cause just New York to lose more than 130,000 jobs in 2019 alone. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act has reduced the burden of healthcare costs for hardworking families not only in New York, but across the Nation; and it is those Americans for whom repeal would be so devastating. prgtoken We are making a mistake if we repeal Care.
Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-1-13

we are in week 2 of this 115th Congress, and, as promised, my colleagues and I are here to stand up for this good Nation. Unfortunately, House s cannot say the same. prgtoken Last night, they decided that nursing home coverage for millions of seniors, comprehensive health care for young children, and the benefits earned after a lifetime of hard work are not worth fighting for. That is exactly why the gentleman from Wisconsin offered an amendment to ensure that the budget resolution being considered today could not be used to cut benefits from three critically important programs: Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. prgtoken In fact, the President-elect promised many times that he would neither cut Social Security benefits for seniors nor would he support cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. But the rule under consideration this morning fails to allow a debate or vote on this amendment, which places the earned benefits and the financial future of American people at risk. prgtoken Who are my colleagues looking out for? Certainly not their constituents. prgtoken It is clear that we are faced with a -controlled Congress that is ensuring the divided and self-serving rhetoric that echoed throughout this campaign season rings true. This is not democracy. This is not outlined in our Constitution. This is not the democracy we are sworn to protect. prgtoken With that, I urge my colleagues to reject this rule.
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-1-13

here is my 1-minute breakdown on why I oppose repealing Care without replacement: prgtoken First, this law protects all Americans with preexisting conditions; second, it keeps all young adults on their parents' insurance until age 26; third, it protects all Americans from bankruptcy if they get sick by removing lifetime caps. prgtoken Before the act, millions of Americans were simply kicked off their insurance when these problems arose. We support keeping these protections for all Americans, and the s want to repeal them. We support improving the act, and the s want to eliminate it. prgtoken While many have stoked fear and spread false information for political gain, it is clear that repeal without replacement equals disaster. It will eliminate these protections for all Americans, create chaos for working families, and send our country into another recession. prgtoken It is clear we need to improve the act rather than repeal it. It is time to do the right thing for all Floridians and for all Americans.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-13

. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to repeal of the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken For 7 years, all we have heard from the s regarding health care is repeal and replace. prgtoken After 7 years and more than 60 votes, they still have not come up with the replace. This isn't just a talking point. This is literally a matter of life and death for people. prgtoken Raymond, from Napa in my district, was diagnosed with stage III renal cancer in 1996. His premiums rose year after year until we passed the ACA. prgtoken Before the ACA, Raymond worried about losing his insurance because of his preexisting condition. In fact, his cancer returned in 2014, but, thanks to the ACA, he got the treatment he needed. prgtoken What are s going to do for Raymond if they repeal the ACA and his premiums go up, or his insurance drops him because he had cancer over 20 years ago, or he hits his lifetime cap on coverage? prgtoken s need to ask themselves if they are willing to return Americans like Raymond to a time when the care they needed was always beyond their grasp. prgtoken I am not saying that it is perfect, but we need to keep it. It also kills 3 million jobs.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-1-13

for 8 years, House s have wrongly claimed that the Affordable Care Act will be catastrophic for hardworking Americans. prgtoken Here are the facts: since its passage, the ACA has helped cover 20 million previously uninsured Americans; 95 percent of America's children are now covered; almost 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions now have the peace of mind to know that they will not be denied health services; and healthcare costs have been growing at the slowest rate in 50 years. prgtoken But as s prepare to take control of the White House, it is clear they don't have an actual plan to replace Care. Not only will their repeal and displace plan cut off millions of Americans--men, women, and children--from quality, affordable health care, but it will also have devastating impacts on our economy. prgtoken Repealing the Affordable Care Act will cause the loss of 2.6 million jobs, a majority of which will be non-health industry jobs. It is projected that my home State of Rhode Island will lose more than 12,000 jobs. prgtoken This budget resolution will not only increase prescription drug prices for our seniors, raise premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for Americans who buy insurance, but will lead to significantly larger yearly deficits and contribute more than $9.5 trillion in debt over the next decade. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to oppose this budget resolution, to protect the American people's access to quality, affordable health care, and to vote ``no.''
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
David E. Price (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2017-1-13

I rise in strong opposition to this sham budget resolution. prgtoken After wringing their hands for the last 8 years about debt and deficits, today's resolution makes clear s care about fiscal discipline only when it is a ic President they are dealing with. This budget resolution would add $9.5 trillion to the debt prgtoken over the next 10 years. It has only one purpose: to provide for the eventual repeal of the Affordable Care Act, but it would ruin our fiscal health as well. prgtoken Of course, the ACA was fully paid for by with new revenue and with cost-containment measures. Nonpartisan budget experts say that repealing the ACA would actually increase the deficit by $350 billion. So the hypocrisy of our colleagues on this issue is simply breathtaking, even by Washington standards. prgtoken Of course, repeal of ACA wouldn't just blow a hole in the budget, it would: destabilize the insurance market and cause premiums to skyrocket; eliminate insurance coverage for 30 million Americans, including 4 million children; raise taxes on the middle-class; burden local and rural hospitals with more uncompensated care; eliminate Medicaid benefits for millions of vulnerable citizens; and abolish vital patient protections, including the provision that stopped insurance companies from discriminating against those with preexisting condition. prgtoken After more than 6 years, moreover, we are still waiting for that comprehensive plan to replace the ACA. News flash: they don't have one.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-1-13

. I rise in strong opposition to this resolution if s go forward with this plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, 30 million Americans will lose health insurance. In New York State alone, 1.6 million of our neighbors--who gained coverage through ACA--will lose their health insurance and will see their health insurance taken away, and 2.7 million New Yorkers who have enrolled in Medicaid could lose coverage. prgtoken But this is not just about Medicaid, and it is not just about who obtained coverage through the exchanges. This is about the young person just out of college who can stay on their parents' insurance until they turn 26, giving them time to secure employment and coverage on their own. It is about patients with preexisting conditions who, until the ACA, were blocked from securing quality medical insurance. It is about women who have faced gender discrimination in the insurance market. These are the people s will harm with their irresponsible attack on our healthcare system. prgtoken Now, let me also note this: the slogan, repeal and replace, is a sham. What are they going to replace the ACA with? They have never, not once, put together a realistic, defensible plan to replace the ACA. Their plan should be called repeal and displace because it will displace millions of Americans from their health coverage. Reject repeal and displace. Vote ``no'' on this bill.
PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTION TO LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-1-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , first of all, I want to thank the chairman, and I want to thank the members of the Armed Services Committee. I think we had a very excellent debate on this issue yesterday in committee. A lot of very well thought-out opinions on both sides were expressed in a respectful way. prgtoken I also want to thank the chairman because the second that it was said that General Mattis was going to be the President-elect's selection for Secretary of Defense, he joined me in saying that we wanted General Mattis to appear before our committee to answer our questions. This is something that has only happened twice, and the first time in 67 years; and our committee members wanted the opportunity to do our job as the House Armed Services Committee and hear from the nominee about how he felt about the civilian control of the military, which is the reason that this law was put in place back in 1947. So I thank the chairman for that. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. prgtoken The one thing I would correct, we do have to pass this piece of legislation in order for General Mattis to become the Secretary of Defense. We do not have to do it now. I will explain more on how we can do that in just a second. But the problem of where we are at right now because of the actions of the transition team, we basically, certainly on the House Armed Services Committee and, to some extent, in the full House, are being treated as irrelevant. prgtoken It was mentioned during our committee that General Mattis received an 81-17 vote on this legislation in the Senate. That is true, it was bipartisan. He appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate Armed Services Committee was given the respect to do their job, and they heard him, and they asked him questions. It didn't take very long. He was done by 12:30, and they voted. That didn't happen for us. prgtoken Really, it is sort of a two-step process in which the legislative branch--in this case, the House--was basically ignored and treated as irrelevant. First was in the continuing resolution that we passed to keep the government open where, with guidance from the transition team, they insisted on very specific language in the CR to set it up so that General Mattis could be confirmed, and that was stuck into the CR. Now, we, on the ic side objected to a couple of things in that at the time, but those objections were ignored, and it was put in, and we were not prepared to shut down the government over this issue since it was put into the CR. prgtoken The chairman has mentioned one of the problems with it, and the biggest one, and that is in the past, in the case of General Marshall, they exempted him from this provision that retired officers are subject to the UCMJ. They did not exempt General Mattis. When we are talking about civilian control of the military, if you have a retired military officer who is still subject to m
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-13

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my grave concerns with the budget proposal for 2017. The budget before us today is a disaster for the American people. Not only does it add $9 trillion to the national debt and put our nation on the path to fiscal ruin, it begins the process of dismantling the Affordable Care prgtoken Act, taking health insurance away from 30 million Americans. prgtoken Our national budget is not just pages of numbers. It is a statement of our nation's values. By that measure, this budget is morally bankrupt. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act became law in March 2010, yet despite their condemnations of the law, s have failed to present any comprehensive alternative in the nearly seven years since it was signed into law. Not one single proposal. The Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it best at the Washington Post's Daily 202 interview on November 29th last year when he suggested our healthcare system should look more like the cable industry because of all the choices consumers have in that market. He said, ``I always use the analogy, would I want to pick a cable company to watch what I want to watch on TV? I love the options that I have, I love the ability to switch, I love the different packages that I can pick if I like a certain sports team, or I want to watch HBO or something else. Why can't we have health care in a manner that we can do something to that extent?'' prgtoken If s think the American people want the cable industry to serve as a model for the health insurance market, our colleagues are even more out of touch than I ever imagined. prgtoken After spending years and 65 votes to repeal the ACA, and warning Americans about the dire threats of budget deficits and the national debt, s have suddenly done an about face. They no longer care about the fiscal impact of this budget which adds $9 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Nor do they care about the fiscal impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act which is estimated to cost $350 billion over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office. prgtoken The House majority has also set its sights on dismantling our nation's premier social insurance program by including in the House Rules package the unprecedented requirement that each standing committee identify programs that can be moved from mandatory to discretionary spending. This is a chilling and thinly veiled move to begin dismantling the guarantee of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and tie the future of these essential programs to the uncertainty of the annual appropriations process. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to think long and hard about the far-reaching consequences of this budget on the well-being of the American people and the fiscal health of our nation and vote `No' on final passage.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017
Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-1-13

. Mr. Chair, I can tell you who is happy that the budget resolution will likely pass the House today, Big Pharma. Pharmaceutical companies are once again escaping any changes to a system which has repeatedly allowed them to prioritize profits over people and drive increases in out-of-pocket healthcare costs. prgtoken Companies like Mylan, Turing, and Valeant are jacking up lifesaving drugs like EpiPen for anaphylactic shock; Daraprim for HIV and cancer patients; and Nitropress for heart failure overnight without any accountability. prgtoken While the American people increasingly can't afford their medicine, pharmaceutical companies are the wealthiest they have been in years. prgtoken In fact, median healthcare and pharmaceutical executive pay is higher than any other industry in the United States. prgtoken And even though taxpayers fund billions of dollars of basic medical research used to develop groundbreaking drugs, pharmaceutical companies often charge Americans many times what the rest of the world pays. prgtoken Mr. Chair, Americans can't afford to continue giving pharmaceutical and health insurance executives a pay raise, and many on both sides of the aisle agree. prgtoken Just this week, President-elect added his voice to that effort saying: pharma was ``getting away prgtoken with murder.'' I agree. They are literally getting away with murder. Because if a mother can't afford her child's EpiPen, or a cancer patient can't afford treatment, people die. prgtoken So I offered an amendment to this budget resolution seeking to lower prescription drug costs, but s refuse to even allow debate on my amendment. prgtoken Instead of fighting to make sure Americans have access to lifesaving medications, s are protecting the ability of pharmaceutical companies to continue to shake down the American people. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution and, instead, address these healthcare costs and access issues that every American knows too well.
JEFFREY BALLOU
Michael F. Doyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-1-13

I rise today to recognize one of my constituents, Jeffrey Ballou, who takes up new responsibilities today as the 110th President of the National Press Club. prgtoken Jeff is a Pittsburgh native, the son of Geneva and Henry Ballou. He grew up in Pittsburgh's Homewood-Brushton neighborhood, and he attended Taylor Allderdice High School before going on to earn his undergraduate degree in journalism from Penn State University and his graduate degree in journalism and public affairs from American University. Jeff is an unwavering fan of Pittsburgh's legendary sports teams--the Pirates, the Steelers, and the Penguins. prgtoken Jeff started his career in journalism working for CONUS Communications covering the White House. He subsequently worked as planning editor for Fox Television Channel 5, WTTG, here in Washington, DC. He worked at C-SPAN and National Public Radio as well. He's spent roughly the last ten years at Al Jazeera Media Network, first as its Deputy News Editor and then as Editor of its 24-hour English language news channel. prgtoken Throughout his career, Jeff Ballou has demonstrated a strong commitment to objective journalism and to improving the profession. He served on the Executive Committee of the Radio & Television Correspondents Association, for example, and he served as President and National Committee Co-Chair of the National Association of Black Journalists. prgtoken Finally, he has been actively involved in the National Press Club, which proudly claims the title of ``the world's leading professional organization for journalists.'' For more than a hundred years, the National Press Club has been a prominent organization in the field of journalism and an advocate for free press around the world. Jeff has been a member of the National Press Club since 1992 and served on its board from 2014 to 2015. Jeff was elected to serve as Vice President of the organization over the past year, and in recognition of his extensive experience in journalism and his proven leadership skills, Jeff was elected to serve as the 110th President of the National Press Club for the coming year. prgtoken I am confident that Jeff's many years of experience have prepared him well for his new responsibilities as President of this storied institution. I want to congratulate Jeff on this honor--and new opportunity to improve the profession of journalism, and I wish him a successful term as the 110th President of the National Press Club.
KEEP THE ACA
Denny Heck (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-1-13

I have a constituent named Martha. She goes by Marty. prgtoken Marty was studying to earn her bachelor's degree in nursing at Pacific Lutheran University when she was diagnosed with rectal cancer. Not good. prgtoken Without medical insurance, as we all know, that is a certain death sentence. There is no other way about it. But it wasn't for Marty. Frankly, less than a year before she had finally found affordable healthcare insurance for herself through the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange. prgtoken Every family, every person in this Chamber, has been affected by it. Cancer has a way of ripping bodies apart, ripping families apart, and ripping communities apart. prgtoken It didn't rip Marty apart. Through her strength, courage, and health insurance, she persevered. She has conviction that God used her community of friends and her family and the Affordable Care Act to help her through treatment and into recovery. prgtoken Not only could Marty share that story with me back in 2015, but she graduated cum laude from PLU in nursing just this last December. I am sharing her remarkable story with you--it could be replicated millions of times--to urge you to set aside and rise above partisan politics and not repeal the lifesaving Affordable Care Act. I ask you to do this not just for the sake of Marty, but because there, my friends, but for the grace of God, go each and every one of us.