mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VETERANS 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT
Ruben Gallego (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise in opposition to H.R. 1181. As a combat veteran in the Iraq war, the issues we are debating this afternoon are deeply personal to me. prgtoken Veteran suicide has reached crisis levels in this country, and our failure to do more to help veterans in desperate need of mental health care is truly shameful. Unfortunately, s have brought forward a bill today that will make this crisis even worse. prgtoken Here is the plain truth. If we allow people with serious mental illnesses to purchase dangerous weapons, we are putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk. prgtoken , at a time when more veterans are taking their own lives, we should be debating how to get them greater resources and support, not easier access to firearms. At least 10--10--esteemed military leaders, including David Petraeus, Michael Hayden, and Stanley McChrystal all agree. Here is what they wrote in a heartfelt letter to Congress: ``Our Nation is facing a devastating epidemic of veteran suicide. The bill you are debating comes at a time when an average of 20 veterans commit suicide each day, two-thirds of whom do so by buying a firearm. ``We know that nondeployed veterans are at a 61 percent higher risk of suicide compared to the American civilian population, and deployed veterans are at a 41 percent higher risk'' than the American civilian population. ``When vulnerable veterans have access to firearms, they can do harm not only to themselves but also to their family members and loved ones. The impact of these tragedies is felt in communities across our Nation. ``The VA has submitted over 174,000 names of servicemen and -women who require a fiduciary to manage their benefits and have been determined through clear and convincing evidence to meet the Federal standard for gun prohibition. ``Of these 174,000, 19,000 are individuals that suffer from schizophrenia, and another 15,000 have severe PTSD. ``For these individuals, possession of a firearm could be fatal.'' prgtoken They conclude by calling the bill before us today ``irresponsible, dangerous, and life threatening to those who need access to care, not weapons,'' and I couldn't agree more with that. prgtoken The question for my friends is a simple one: Do you know more about what is best for our veterans than General Hayden? Do you have a better understanding of what would improve their welfare than General McChrystal? Do you appreciate their needs more acutely than General Petraeus? If the answer is no, then you should vote ``no'' on this bill later today. prgtoken , if this legislation is signed into law, more veterans will take their own lives. That is the tragic reality we face. Please side with General Petraeus and General McChrystal. Side with your conscience and your values. Side with our veterans. Please vote ``no.'' prgtoken , I include in the Record a letter from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regarding a summary of
AN IMMIGRANT STORY
Joseph P. Kennedy III (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise to share the story of a family that I have come to know. They came from a humble place, scraping by. Amidst instability in their native land, they could barely keep food on their table. For years, their government ignored their struggle and suffering. Like so many others, they dreamed of a better life in America. prgtoken Finally, they managed to cobble together enough money to make the dangerous journey to our shores. Yet, once here, they discovered that life wasn't so easy. They were resented for their accents, their faith, and their foreign ways. Doors were slammed in their faces when they sought work. prgtoken So they worked harder. They leaned on each other and those who came before. They forged a community and they organized. They built churches, businesses, and schools. Slowly but surely, they began to enjoy some measure of success and stability. prgtoken , I am sure that there are Garcias or Asgaris or Rodriguezes that share that same story, but the one I tell is not theirs. prgtoken This family's name is Kennedy. Struggling immigrants whose quest for a better life took them from Ireland's potato famine to Boston's immigrant barrios. It is the ageless story of a young man looking for a better future, of a family in search of a safe place to settle down, of the sacrifice that any parent would make for the benefit of their children. And it has been repeated millions of times in every corner of our world in the over 150 years since my ancestors fled their home to find a new one. prgtoken My father has a memory of my great-grandmother, Rose, that he shared with me once. He was playing outside with friends one day when she called him in. As he fidgeted around and impatiently tried to sit still, she pulled out a big scrapbook and flipped to a stack of carefully folded newspapers in the back. One after another, she opened them up to the help wanted section. There, she pointed to ad after ad marked in big block letters: No Irish need apply. prgtoken My great-grandmother's message was clear: Don't forget where you came from, don't forget the blood and the sweat and the tears that generations before you have shed so that you would never feel the sting of prejudice. prgtoken For my family and so many others, this became a deeply personal fight. In July of 1964, a young Attorney General named Robert Kennedy sat in front of the House Judiciary Committee. There, my grandfather urged Congress to act on immigration reform. Our system, he said, ``is a source of embarrassment to us around the world, it is a source of anguish to many of our own citizens, it is a source of loss to the economic and creative strength of our nation as a whole, it is inconsistent with our principles and out of step with our history.'' prgtoken The opposition that he and other advocates have faced half a century ago sounds eerily familiar to so many of us today: Immigrants will flood our cities and towns. They will take American jobs
STOP MILITARIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-3-16

for nearly three decades, State and local law enforcement agencies across America have been flooded with surplus military-grade weaponry through the Pentagon's 1033 program. prgtoken Late last year, law enforcement in North Dakota responded to protesters in Standing Rock in a well-documented, militarized fashion, reminding us of the danger which the use of military equipment by domestic law enforcement poses to the civil liberties of Americans. prgtoken During the elections, President ran on a promise to restore ``law and order.'' I am deeply concerned that the administration will follow up on that promise by making more military equipment available to State and local law enforcement agencies. This would further blur the line between the military and civilian police officers and violate a founding principle of our Nation. prgtoken For this reason, I am, today, reintroducing the bipartisan Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act to rein in the Pentagon's excess property management program and ensure that our communities are not just safe, but that the civil liberties of ordinary Americans continue to be protected.
CONDEMNING HEALTHCARE BILL
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise today to speak out against the healthcare bill that is currently making its way through the House. It is an attack on seniors that will raise New Jersey taxes, and I refuse to sit idly by. prgtoken First, it includes a premium senior tax that would make older Americans pay five times more for their health care. prgtoken Second, the plan before Congress takes aim at long-term care to support the elderly and disabled and could ultimately throw seniors out of nursing homes. Three out of five nursing home residents in New Jersey rely on Medicaid to access long-term care. prgtoken Finally, it is not only seniors who would be hurt. This bill is a new tax on all New Jersey residents. It cuts Medicaid and leaves the State holding the bag for other States, and it puts additional costs on New Jersey to confront healthcare challenges like the opioid crisis sweeping our State. prgtoken We need a bipartisan fix to the Affordable Care Act. This plan does just the opposite. I am ready to sit at the table with , s, and Independents to come up with a real fix.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1259, VA ACCOUNTABILITY FIRST ACT OF 2017; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1367, IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN...
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-16

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , my friend that sits on the Rules Committee, my colleague from Georgia, correctly speaks to this issue and its need to go to the Judiciary Committee or other committees to ensure that veterans have the appropriate adjudication. prgtoken I don't know where he or my colleague from Florida would place schizophrenia. I am not a mental health expert, but I have spent a good portion of my career here in Congress dealing with issues and trying to address issues of mental health, be it veterans or not. prgtoken , if we defeat the previous question, I am going to offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 696, Representative Schrader's bill to exempt the Department of Veterans Affairs from 's hiring freeze. As we have already discussed, my amendment to allow the VA Secretary to fill vacant positions, regardless of whether they were vacated before or after the hiring freeze, was blocked last night in the Rules Committee. prgtoken There are nearly 47,000 vacant positions within the VA, and we should not be limiting the VA's authority to fill these positions, especially as we continue to work towards reducing patient wait times. prgtoken On a bipartisan basis, Members of both the House and Senate have requested that the VA be exempt from the hiring freeze this is commonsense legislation to ensure that the VA can recruit and hire qualified staff to meet the needs of our veterans. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
CBO ANALYSIS ESPECIALLY BAD NEWS FOR WOMEN
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-16

today the House Budget Committee passed the healthcare plan. prgtoken We all know by now that the recent CBO analysis has some very bad news for millions of Americans, but it has some especially bad news for women. The GOP plan makes Planned Parenthood ineligible for any reimbursement from Medicaid or Medicare for one entire year. More than half of Planned Parenthood facilities are in rural or medically underserved areas. Even in my district in New York, women are lined up outside the building and down the block, often waiting for Planned Parenthood services. prgtoken Yet, the CBO says that if the GOP plan becomes law, more than 15 percent of low-income women in our country will be without any access to health care--no cancer screenings and no tests and treatments for STDs. Women's lives and well-being should have greater value than this, but they just don't seem to count in the cruel math of this merciless law.
JANUARY TRADE DEFICIT
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-3-16

the Commerce Department just announced that America's trade deficit for January 2017 was $48.5 billion, the largest monthly deficit since March 2012. That translates into more lost jobs in our country. prgtoken In the campaign, President criticized our trade deals. He promised to do better for American workers. And now, nearly 2 months into his Presidency, what action has he taken to stop the erosion of this deficit and the jobs that go with them? prgtoken It continues to get worse. prgtoken What hope can he give to the hundreds and hundreds more steelworkers in Lorain, Ohio, who just received pink slips over the weekend due to the permanent closure of another steel line, due to Chinese imports and predatory trade practice? prgtoken It is going to put a lot of steelworkers back to work, President said during the campaign and after as he revived the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines. But his talk turned out to be empty and a pipe dream because the pipes have already been purchased from foreign sources. prgtoken Next month, China's President, Xi Jinping, will visit President at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. President talked tough on China throughout the campaign, but what will he do to reform Chinese trade practices that are resulting in these increasing trade deficits? prgtoken , I hope our President begins to keep the long list of campaign promises that he made to working people across this country, reverses these deficits, and starts increasing good jobs again.
VETERANS 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT
Ami Bera (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise today in opposition of the so-called Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. I agree with the chairman of the full committee that we don't want to take away Second Amendment rights from our veterans. In fact, our veterans have the skills and understanding of how to handle firearms. I think about this as a doctor, though, who has served veterans and who has worked in the VA system. prgtoken We have an epidemic on our hands right now. Every day, 20 veterans commit suicide. That is 20 too many. As someone who has sat in the exam room and listened to these veterans, if there is any evidence or risk of suicidal ideations, if there is any risk of that, I prgtoken don't want to take doctors out of this process, and that is what I am worried about here. My first job is to do no harm and to do good and help protect these veterans. prgtoken Two out of three veterans who commit suicide do so with a firearm. We have got to prevent this. This is an epidemic, and it is a national crisis, and we know gun suicides are preventible. prgtoken When we see those risks, I want to make sure I, as a doctor, have the ability to act and protect that veteran. We need to address this problem like the public health issue that it is. We need to continue to allow doctors to report the risks when they see them. It makes their patients safer, their communities safer, and it is the right thing to do. prgtoken I would love to work with my colleague, a fellow doctor and the chairman of the full committee, on making sure we protect our veterans.
VA ACCOUNTABILITY FIRST ACT OF 2017
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-16

. Mr. Chair, I continue to oppose the underlying bill and support my amendment. prgtoken I would assert that my amendment would apply to many of the employees in the scandals who were cited by our esteemed chairman. prgtoken I want to remind the body that several speakers this afternoon repeated a phrase that the vast majority of employees at the VA are doing a good job. My amendment really does address those few employees who really do pose a threat to veterans' safety or health. prgtoken I would also say that I want to remind also the chairman and inform the body that we heard testimony from the bipartisan Commission on Care established through the Choice Act. They were charged with the responsibility of reviewing VA health care. prgtoken One of the co-chairs was appointed by a --I believe the Senate majority leader--and the other by the White House. They both reported back that we cannot create excellence at the VA through enhancing the firing process. prgtoken They were astounded that more effort and resources have not been invested in the personnel function of the VA to better train our managers in progressive discipline and to do the kind of documentation that really will bring about effective accountability. prgtoken By the way, both of these co-chairs led, and do still, large, private sector healthcare organizations. They pushed back on a suggestion that we needed to enhance our dismissal process, our accountability process. prgtoken I do agree with the chairman and the ranking member that we have an opportunity to work together as and s. We are not far apart on the bipartisan agreement that came out of the Senate. prgtoken , .
VETERANS 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-16

. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and thank her for her leadership on this issue. prgtoken , I rise in opposition to this piece of legislation. This bill undermines our commitment to our veterans, it weakens our background check system, and it puts guns in the hands of those who shouldn't have them. prgtoken I am a combat veteran and I am a gun owner. I strongly support the Second Amendment. With responsible gun ownership comes the recognition that not everyone is mentally capable to own a gun. prgtoken Every day, 20 veterans take their own life, most of those with a firearm, so the VA acted to prevent violence and to comply with the law by keeping guns out of the hands of veterans who are in crisis. These are veterans with very serious diagnoses, including 20,000 veterans diagnosed with schizophrenia, over 11,000 with dementia, and more than 5,000 with Alzheimer's. Passing this bill would remove their names from our background check system. prgtoken This is absolute stupidity. The VA has done a good job to keep more than 174,000 veterans with serious mental health problems from getting a gun. They are working hard to save the lives of these veterans. This bill would make it easier for veterans to take their own life. prgtoken I don't want to see another veteran become a statistic. Passing this bill puts our veterans at risk. We owe them the best care and support. Sadly, this bill would leave them more vulnerable than ever. This is a dangerous overstep, and I urge every Member to seriously consider the impact this will have on our veterans, their families, and their communities.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Timothy J. Walz (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-3-16

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 1367. I would like to thank the gentleman from Ohio, first of all, as an incredibly important Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, a doctor himself and, as important, a colonel in the United States Army and the United States Army Reserve. An incredible insight into the very issues we are addressing and, I think, bringing this bill right now, we had a very good debate on fixing the VA, moving them in the right direction. And this piece of legislation is incredibly spot-on about another piece of that accountability. prgtoken Dr. Wenstrup's bill will help the VA better understand its staffing shortages, and I think this is important. We all say 45,000 openings or whatever; it is important for us to know, do we need to hire all 45,000 of those; which ones are critical; which ones can be done faster. So that piece is common sense. prgtoken It develops an executive management fellowship program that will allow the VA to send its leaders to the private sector to learn best practices and vice versa; again, incredibly smart, welcome change. prgtoken It will allow the VA to develop technical advancements, so employees who are in a specific field can advance in title and salary, without moving to a management role. prgtoken Quality hiring, training, and retention starts with a good HR department. This legislation will provide critical research into best HR practice and then provide the training to VA HR managers. These provisions, along with other hiring authorities, will help the VA get the right people in the door. prgtoken Currently, as the gentleman said, the process is slow, cumbersome, and, quite honestly, I think it just burns people out before they get there. And these are really dedicated folks who want to serve. prgtoken I have a gentleman I have become acquainted with who is a nationally renowned cardiac surgeon who left a very lucrative private practice to go to the VA after his son was wounded in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and chose to do his part by going back into the VA system. prgtoken He mentioned how cumbersome it was. He mentioned some of the bureaucratic troubles that he had, and all he wanted to do was bring an incredible skill set to serve those who served us; and Mr. Wenstrup's bill does exactly that. prgtoken I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and ask that consideration in support of the amendments be brought forward, be considered. Each of these amendments will improve on a really good piece of legislation, improve the Secretary's ability to recruit, train, and retain a quality workforce. prgtoken , .
HONORING THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS OF MR. JIM PARDINI
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise today to honor my dear friend, Jim Pardini of Pardini's Banquet and Catering for being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Central California Restaurant Association--Fresno Chapter. For the past thirty-six years, Pardini's Banquet and Catering has dedicated their facility to providing the utmost exquisite food service to all in the community. Jim is a pillar in the Central Valley, known not only for his success as a restaurateur, but also for his generous and giving spirit. prgtoken Jim was born to Albert and Mary Jane Pardini in Santa Cruz, California. The Pardinis would make Fresno their home in 1952. Jim graduated from San Joaquin Memorial High School in 1964 and went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in Social Science from Fresno State in 1968. Following in the hard working footsteps of his father, Jim carried on the family restaurant business started in 1948 by Al. By 1981, Jim and his wife Marie opened Pardini's Banquet and Catering and went on to acquire a Rubio's and four Tony Roma restaurants. Over time, Pardini's Catering has become the well-respected caterer of the Big Fresno Fair, the Fresno Convention Center and Fresno State's Bulldog Stadium. prgtoken To further his statewide impact in the restaurant industry, Jim helped to create the restaurant Political Action Committee. Then, as the president of the California Restaurant Association, he aided in developing the Grassroots Program. Jim's accomplishments created new ways for restaurant owners to truly connect with law makers in California. prgtoken In addition to his impact on the restaurant industry, Jim has dedicated his time to philanthropy work within the community. He is a longtime supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program and the Boys and Girls Club. In addition, he was presented with the honor of the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association. With his many accomplishments thus far, Jim's success was fittingly recognized when he was inducted into the California Restaurant Association Foundation Hall of Fame. Through relentless hard work and dedication, Jim Pardini continues to leave a substantial mark in the restaurant industry and within our community. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the lifelong achievements of Jim Pardini. I congratulate Mr. Pardini for this great achievement and ask that you join me in wishing him and his family continued success.