mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-6-26

I am proud to be on the floor today, proud to stand with my colleagues, and I hope that at the end of this week, I will be proud of all of my colleagues when we vote to defeat this measure, or at least to delay it, because we owe the American people the right to be heard. prgtoken Our responsibility as elected representatives is at the very least to listen. I have been listening over the last week but really over the last year to constituents of mine in the State of Connecticut and over the last week at two emergency field hearings that I conducted because no hearings were held by the Senate and no markups and no votes in committee. What we saw here in Washington was complete secrecy, a bill produced behind closed doors, only seeing the light of day for the first time last Thursday. prgtoken Our colleagues have gone from total secrecy to total chaos. The reason for the chaos is the facts that were most dramatically revealed today--just hours ago--when the Congressional Budget Office told us, not surprisingly, that 22 million Americans would be thrown to the wolves as a result of this measure--thrown to the wolves of no healthcare coverage--and eventually 49 million Americans would be without healthcare insurance by 2026. prgtoken Next year alone, 15 million more people will be uninsured under the plan, Care 2.0. Low-income Americans would be unable to afford any plan at all, and anybody who does would be paying higher costs for fewer services of lesser quality. Americans will pay a higher share of their income and receive less as a result. A 64-year-old making almost $57,000 will go from paying $6,800 under the Affordable Care Act to $20,500 under the proposal before this body. This jump in cost is absolutely staggering. prgtoken It will destroy the financial well-being of middle-class Americans who also, when they need nursing home care, after they have exhausted their savings, will be thrown to the wolves. I visited one such facility just last Friday, where two-thirds of its 60 beds will be unaffordable when those middle-class families find their savings will no longer cover it. prgtoken These facts are the reason for the chaos. One of our former colleagues, my mentor, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, famously said: ``Everybody is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.'' The administration's statement that the CBO is not to be blindly trusted--nobody has to trust the CBO blindly. Those facts are driven by reality. Their report speaks truth to power and to the American people, and the American people get it. prgtoken None of us can look our constituents in the eye, look ourselves in the mirror, look inside ourselves, in our hearts, and justify a vote for this bill. The American people are angry, many of them because we are even considering it. It is not an anger that is kind of a shrug of the shoulders; it is a deep, vocal, vehement, vitrio
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-6-26

it is good to see you this afternoon. prgtoken I rise in support of the nomination of Kristine Svinicki to hold a third term as a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, known as the NRC. Many Senators heard from our chairman on the Environment and Public Works Committee in support of this nominee last week, just prior to our cloture vote. I want to add my voice in support of her nomination as well. prgtoken Since joining the Environment and Public Works Committee, I have worked closely with my colleagues to strengthen what we call the ``culture of safety'' within the U.S. nuclear energy industry. In part, due to our collective efforts and the NRC leadership and the Commission's dedicated staff, the NRC continues to be the world's gold standard for nuclear regulatory agencies. However, as I say time and again, that does not mean we can become complacent when it comes to nuclear safety and our NRC oversight responsibilities, a perspective that I am certain is shared by every Member of this body. prgtoken Ensuring that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission continues to have experienced and dedicated leadership is one of the most important things that our committee, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Senate can do to maintain a high level of safety and excellence in our Nation's nuclear facilities. prgtoken I am quite impressed with our NRC Commissioners, and I am encouraged with their ability to work cooperatively with each other. Each Commissioner, including our current chair, Kristine Svinicki--let me say her name again: Svinicki. People have a hard time saying her name. It is Svinicki. prgtoken She brings a unique set of skills to the table--something that has served the Commission and our country well. prgtoken I continue to have ongoing discussions with our friend, the chairman of the committee, Senator John Barrasso, about the strong interest I and our minority members of the committee have with ensuring parity, as the Senate looks to confirm other nominees to the NRC. This is in order to ensure that we have a balance of ic and members on the Commission for years to come. It continues to be a priority for me and our ic colleagues. prgtoken At this time, I support moving Chairman Svinicki through the confirmation process. I do so out of respect for her long service to the NRC and for the need to ensure certainty and predictability within the NRC and its leadership. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting her nomination. prgtoken , as to this particular nominee, not everybody on the committee or probably in the Senate will support the nomination of Kristine Svinicki. They could have held her up. No one has, and she has moved through our committee expeditiously. She, in my view, should have moved through expeditiously and will be coming before us for an up-or- down vote in a few minutes.
REJECT SENATE HEALTHCARE BILL
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-26

another healthcare bill that the nonpartisan, bipartisan Congressional Budget Office tells us will rip away healthcare from 22 million Americans, raise premiums--especially on older Americans--and cut Medicaid by roughly $800 billion. prgtoken The Senate 's plan is especially cruel for New York City. Not only will millions lose coverage, but sharp Medicaid cuts will cost hospitals over $5 billion, and fewer seniors will be able to afford nursing homes and home care providers. prgtoken But the bill saves its worst for women. It cuts Federal funding for a year for Planned Parenthood clinics that provide essential healthcare to millions of American women. It allows States to easily waive guaranteed coverage for benefits like maternity. In short, women will have to pay more for essential healthcare because we are women, and women will have less access to healthcare because we are women. prgtoken , I urge the Senate to reject this cruel and merciless bill.
WEALTH CARE OVER HEALTHCARE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF CARIBBEAN AMERICANS
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-6-26

. I certainly am. prgtoken , I appreciate the gentlewoman for yielding, and want to point out that, as we discuss healthcare, we have to notice that the s are using a very flawed reasoning to try to sell Care to the American public. prgtoken They say: ``We have a bill, and if you don't like the status quo, therefore, you have to support the bill.'' prgtoken And if you ask: ``Well, what's in the bill?'' They say: ``Well, you have to do something.'' ``What's in your bill?'' ``I don't like the Affordable Care Act.'' ``What's in your bill?'' ``The present law is called Care.'' prgtoken There is no discussion about what the bill actually does or whether or not it improves the status quo and how the bill will affect American families every day. prgtoken But we do know something, based on the CBO report, and that is that Care is significantly worse than the current policy on every level. prgtoken They complain about costs. Costs will go up under this bill. And the only way anybody saves money on premiums is because the policies won't cover as much of the costs. That is because they will cover a lower percentage of the costs, and they will cover fewer benefits. prgtoken This was confirmed today by the CBO, which said that 22 million fewer people will have health and coverage under this plan; and the policies that people buy will cover a lot less than they cover now. prgtoken , at some point, we have to recognize fundamental principles of arithmetic. If you give massive tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans and corporations, as Care is proposing, you will have less money to help those who actually need money to afford insurance. prgtoken Less money means fewer people covered by Medicaid, fewer people receiving subsidies to help them buy their insurance, and policies that cover a smaller portion of the costs. prgtoken According to the CBO, Care will have a severe impact on rural America, threatening the services covered by rural hospitals which, in many areas, are the biggest employers in the area. prgtoken CBO also points out that the hardest hit will be those with preexisting conditions, low-income Americans, and seniors. But even those making $100,000, around $100,000, will also be hurt. prgtoken , why is the Senate even considering this bill? Who benefits? Maybe it is just those wealthy Americans who will get a huge tax cut as people lose their insurance.
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-6-26

we are all one diagnosis away from having a serious illness. Lots of us believe that getting a serious illness is something that happens to other people. I was one of them. prgtoken My moment of reckoning came 2 months ago. During a routine physical, my doctor told me I have kidney cancer. It is a moment everyone dreads. Thankfully, I had health insurance. I was able to sit down with my doctors and decide how I would fight my cancer, not how I would pay for treatment. prgtoken No one should have to worry about whether they can afford the healthcare that one day might save their life. Healthcare is personal, and it is a right, not a privilege reserved only for those who can afford it. It is why we are fighting so hard against Care. prgtoken Thirteen of our male colleagues spent weeks sequestered away, literally plotting how to deny millions of people in our country the healthcare they deserve. They spent these weeks figuring out how to squeeze as much as they could out of the poorest, sickest, and oldest members of our society so they could give the richest people in our country a huge tax cut. This is not a healthcare bill. This is a tax cut for the rich bill. prgtoken Last week, the majority whip looked the American people in the eye from his desk and accused us of denouncing Care before we had a chance to read it. Well, read it we did, and it is as bad as we thought. prgtoken The Congressional Budget Office is estimating that 22 million people will lose their insurance under Care. Its draconian cuts to Medicaid would have a devastating impact on our seniors--our kupuna, as we refer to them prgtoken in Hawaii--who depend on the program for long-term nursing care. It imposes an age tax on people 50 to 64 that allows insurance companies to charge them five times more for insurance. It fulfills the Party's cherished goal of defunding Planned Parenthood. It undermines protections for Americans living with serious and chronic diseases who could face the reimposition of yearly and lifetime caps on their care. prgtoken For millions of people in our country, Care is not some abstract proposal that has no relevance to their lives. Last week, Senator Murray, Senator Van Hollen, and I joined three advocates--Ian, Marques, and Jill--who told us their stories about how Care would impact them. prgtoken Ian grew up in Fond du Lac, WI. During his sophomore year in high school, Ian discovered he had bone cancer after suffering an injury playing football. He has been cancer-free for 6 years and is now pursuing a career in medical research, in large part, because of his experience in fighting this cancer. Although Ian has been cancer-free for some time now, he is very concerned about what Care could mean for him if his disease comes back. He has a preexisting condition. prgtoken Marques lives in Richmond, VA. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when he was only 27 years
WEALTH CARE OVER HEALTHCARE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF CARIBBEAN AMERICANS
Gregory W. Meeks (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-26

I thank Representative Plaskett for leading this Special Order on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. prgtoken It is extremely important that we first thank our Caribbean brothers and sisters, as my sister Yvette Clarke so eloquently stated, the history of so many individuals that have made substantial contributions to make this a more perfect union, who, but for their labor and hard work, we would not be the country that we are. prgtoken But also as Representative Plaskett has indicated, when I think about the average, everyday person who came across to America from the Caribbean Islands--the schoolteachers, the plumbers, the lawyers, the doctors, the sanitation workers, and the individuals that come even just to cut grass--when you think about the contributions, what they have committed is those individuals have raised children who become Members of Congress, like Stacey Plaskett and Yvette Clarke, who continued that tradition of making this a much better place to live for all Americans, a shining example of what this great Nation is when it is so inclusive. prgtoken Yvette Clarke talked about Alexander Hamilton and the contributions that were made from the very beginning. But when you look at that and when you think of who we are and the hemisphere that we share--you see, the Caribbean Islands are the same hemisphere, and we have to make sure that we are together in lockstep. We can never forget that, when America catches a cold, many individuals in the Caribbean now get pneumonia. prgtoken So as a result of understanding the contributions that they have made in this country, and continue to make, we are really one on the same continent and we are only as strong as we are together. prgtoken And so we would have to stop and think of our brothers and sisters from the Caribbean and those who are still living there as just places that we go visit for tourism and vacation. Yes, we want to make sure that we do visit there to strengthen those economies, but we want to also make sure that, as a government, as a people, we are also doing the appropriate investments there in their infrastructure, because it only helps us here in the United States of America. prgtoken We are only as strong as we can be together. E pluribus unum, from many one, that is what this Nation is supposed to be, and I think that we have come a long way to accomplish it, which brings me to the second phase of what I want to talk about this evening, because this is not supposed to be a system of the haves versus the have-nots. It should not be where we have a reverse Robin Hood syndrome where you are taking from the poor to give to the rich. No, that is not the Nation that we want this country to be. In fact, people fled from a king who was wealthy and didn't care about the poor. prgtoken So here we are now as a nation, when the most important thing to anybody is health, because if you don't have health, you don't have anything. I don'
ORDERS FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-6-26

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m Tuesday, June 27; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business for debate only, with Senators permitted to speak therein.
RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF KENT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR/CONTROLLER DARYL DELABBIO
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-6-26

I rise today to congratulate a longtime public servant, Daryl Delabbio, on the occasion of his retirement. Daryl has served as Kent County Administrator/Controller since 1998. Prior to his time with Kent County, he spent 11 years as Rockford city manager. In all, Daryl has dedicated four decades to the people of Kent County and the greater Grand Rapids area. As Administrator/Controller, Daryl oversaw Kent County's daily activities, acted as its chief financial officer and headed project management. Under his leadership, Kent County maintained a balanced budget and saw the development of Millennium Park and the DeVos Place Convention Center. Most importantly, he has led the county in a non- partisan, fair, and fiscally responsible manner. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the career of Administrator/Controller Daryl Delabbio for his service to Kent County.
BETTER CARE RECONCILIATION BILL
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-6-26

7 years ago, the forced an unfair healthcare system on our country that they called the Affordable Care Act. It turned out to be anything but that. prgtoken They told Americans that it would lower their premiums, but Care has increased premiums by an average of 105 percent in the vast majority of States on the Federal exchange since 2013. Unless we act, we can expect similar trends for years to come. prgtoken They told Americans that it would expand choice in the healthcare marketplace, but Care has left Americans in 70 percent of U.S. counties with little to no options for insurance this year. Unless we act, we can expect things to get worse. prgtoken They told Americans that it would allow them to keep their doctors, their plans, and their ability to make the smartest healthcare decisions for their families. Instead, Care forced millions off the plans they liked and forced millions into plans they either did not want or could not afford. Unless we act, more Americans will be left trapped, forced by Care to buy insurance but left without the means to actually do so. prgtoken This is the Care status quo as millions of Americans have come to know it. It is unacceptable. It is unsustainable. The American people need better care, which is exactly what we are working to bring them. prgtoken Through dozens of meetings and through conversations with every Member of our conference, we have had the opportunity to discuss many different ideas and approaches for bringing relief from Care. Ultimately, we found there were a number of areas in which we all agreed when it comes to what the critical issues we need to address are and how we can do that. Those solutions are what make up the draft legislation that was released last week and that we will continue working to consider now. prgtoken Better Care will preserve access to care for patients with preexisting conditions, strengthen Medicaid, and allow children to remain on their parents' insurance through the age of 26. prgtoken Better Care will lower costs from where they are under Care by, among other things, eliminating taxes on the middle class, by giving Americans more power to control and reduce their medical costs and out- of-pocket expenses, and by giving States significant new tools to drive down premiums. prgtoken Better Care will free Americans from onerous mandates under Care by repealing the employer mandate that reduces hours and take-home pay for too many workers and by repealing the individual mandate that forces Americans to buy unaffordable Care insurance, freeing them to make the best healthcare decisions for their families on what types of plans they want and can afford. prgtoken Better Care will help stabilize insurance markets that are collapsing under Care by first implementing stabilization policies and then carefully transitioning away from Care completely so that more f
REMEMBERING DAVID COLEMAN, JR.
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-6-26

the great State of Indiana is proud of and ever thankful to those who defended our Nation's freedom, especially through military service. Today I wish to recognize the service and life of a member of the Greatest Generation, David Coleman, Jr a veteran of World War II. prgtoken Mr. Coleman, born June 12, 1924, served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force from 1943 to 1946 and then again from 1953 to 1960. During his military career, he earned the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the EAME Theater Ribbon. As a veteran myself, I am proud to know of fellow Hoosier veterans such as Mr. Coleman. Mr. Coleman called Indiana home for 60 years, 56 of them with his beloved wife, the late Dorothy Coleman, by his side. Like many Hoosiers, Mr. Coleman enjoyed America's favorite pastime, baseball, and was an avid fan of the Indianapolis Indians. Mr. Coleman also had a strong Hoosier work ethic, working at both Bryant Heating & Cooling and Goodyear Tire Company until retirement. prgtoken Mr. Coleman loved his family, his God, and his country, and for these things, he will be remembered. Mr. Coleman passed away on June 18, 2017, just a few days after his 93rd birthday. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family he left behind, including his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They should know that Mr. Coleman was an exemplary patriot, and I am proud to call him a fellow Hoosier.
COAST GUARD IMPROVEMENT AND REFORM ACT OF 2017
Duncan Hunter (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-6-26

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I would like to associate myself with the gentleman's remarks and thank him for all of his hard work, and especially Dave Jansen and John Rayfield, the two Coast Guard savants of the staff on the Transportation Committee. Those are the gentlemen who did this, who really understand this code, and who made it better for future Congress and future staff, so they can actually see what is going on with the Coast Guard, and maybe the Coast Guard might understand what is going on with the Coast Guard a little bit better. prgtoken I would like to reiterate that H.R. 1726 is a straightforward bill. It reorganizes title 14 and does not make any substantive changes. prgtoken Madam , I urge Members to support it, and .
WELCOMING THE HONORABLE RALPH NORMAN TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-6-26

it is a great honor tonight to be here with Congressman Clyburn on a very extraordinary evening. To me, it is a dream come true. prgtoken Eleven days ago, I had the opportunity--my wife, Roxanne, and I--to campaign across the Fifth Congressional District by bus. As we traveled the district with Ralph and Elaine Norman, I found out that his business background gives him the basis to understand how to create jobs. I saw his affection for our veterans and his understanding of the importance of a strong national defense. In particular, with Shaw Air Force Base in the district, he understands a strong national defense. prgtoken It was so inspiring, also, to be with their four grown children who are each successful. And he has a real interest to be successful because he has 15 grandchildren. What an achievement. Members understand this is really important. prgtoken For the past 7 years, I am really grateful that he has been a floor leader for Governor Nikki Haley, now our Ambassador to the United Nations, where he has been a floor leader for limited government and expanded freedom. prgtoken It is with great honor I introduce to you Congressman Ralph Norman.