mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VETERANS' ACCESS TO CHILD CARE ACT
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-2-7

. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support on passage of H.R. 840, the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, to provide childcare assistance to our military families. prgtoken Nearly a decade ago, the Veterans Administration survey found that over 1 in 10 veterans have had to cancel their VA medical appointments due to the lack of childcare. In response, Congress created the VA childcare pilot program. The first in the Nation opened in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. prgtoken The program has been a tremendous success. Since its inception, it has served countless military families. Last year, more than 1,000 children visited the Kids Korner, located at the Buffalo VA Center, while their parents received much-needed care. prgtoken America's veterans placed their lives on the front lines for our freedoms. Many veterans returned to their families from combat with injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder that requires regular treatment at their VA. prgtoken Madam Chair, we need to remove barriers to care and give our veterans certainty. By passing this legislation, Congress will make childcare available to veterans who need it, while being cost effective in improving health outcomes. prgtoken In closing, I thank Congresswoman Brownley for her tireless work on behalf of our Nation's veterans, and I strongly urge my colleagues to vote on passage of this important legislation.
VETERANS' ACCESS TO CHILD CARE ACT
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat, MP) \u2014 2019-2-7

I rise today to offer an amendment clarifying that telemental health services furnished by the VA are included in the list of covered healthcare services under H.R. 840. prgtoken Making it easier for veterans to get mental healthcare services by providing childcare while they are receiving treatment just makes sense. Most parents are not going to use the mental health services the VA provides if it means leaving their kids at home alone. Worrying about their children will only worsen the mental stress for veterans in need of care. prgtoken So I support H.R. 840, but I want to make sure the childcare the bill offers will be available to veterans in my district who can only receive mental health service by videoconference. prgtoken We do not have a VA psychologist in the Marianas. For that matter, we do not have a community-based outpatient clinic or a vet center or a VBA specialist, services that veterans in the rest of America can take for granted. So my vets must sit in front of a video monitor to get mental health counseling--not exactly the best arrangement, in my opinion. prgtoken So let us at least try and make sure that veterans in the Marianas-- or anywhere else in the Nation--or anywhere else the VA only offers telemedicine instead of real person-to-person care, that those veterans do not have to worry about the safety and well-being of their children. Let us be sure there is no ambiguity in H.R. 840. prgtoken I ask my colleagues for their support of my amendment, backed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, so we can be sure that even vets receiving mental health services by video can have the cost of childcare covered. prgtoken .
IN REMEMBRANCE OF GEORGE KLEIN
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2019-2-7

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to George Klein, a Memphis original and one of the late Elvis Presley's longest and closest friends after they met at Humes High School in 1948, both aged 13. Mr. Klein died Tuesday evening in Memphis at the age of 83. George Klein, known as ``GK,'' was Memphis disc jockey and protege of pioneering disc jockey Dewey Phillips, hosting WHBQ-TV's ``Talent Party'' (1964 to 1973) and WMC radio's ``George Klein's Rock & Roll Ballroom. `` He later hosted SiriusXM satellite radio's Elvis Radio channel until last year. Mr. Klein was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2018. A member of King of Rock & Roll's ``Memphis Mafia'' traveling entourage, Mr. Klein was a groomsman in Presley's wedding to Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967 in Las Vegas (Elvis served as his best man when Mr. Klein married in 1970) and served as an Elvis pallbearer after the singer's death in 1977. Mr. Klein also had bit parts in some of Elvis' movies, including ``Jailhouse Rock'' in 1957. When Elvis was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, it was his loyal friend Mr. Klein who gave the acceptance speech. For Memphis, Mr. Klein was our Bob Hope, hosting many civic affairs programs and producing the annual George Klein Christmas Charity Show that people looked forward to seeing for years and which raised a lot of money for various charities. As a radio personality, he had a variety of career highlights, hosting Johnny Cash's radio debut; bringing the first African American recording artists--Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, James Brown, and Jackie Wilson--to play on live Memphis television; and introducing The Beatles when they played the Mid-South Coliseum in August 1966. Everybody loved George Klein. He was always cheerful and upbeat and made life better for all he met; you could say he helped make your day. Mr. Klein very closely followed Memphis State and later University of Memphis sports, particularly basketball. University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari said he used to talk to Mr. Klein before basketball games and called him ``an unbelievable ambassador'' for Memphis. George and I had a mutual friend in Irvin Salky, who was his contemporary and occasionally his counselor. Priscilla, who visited my office last month, recognized Mr. Klein's influence. She released a statement Tuesday evening calling Mr. Klein ``a legendary broadcaster,'' adding ``but he was so much more to our family. George has been there from the beginning . . . He was a true Memphian and always made it feel like home on trips back to Graceland. I will forever cherish our memories together, they will stay with me always.'' George was my friend and his was a life well-lived. He will be missed.
Introductory Statement on S. 382
Doug Jones (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2019-2-7

first, I would like to thank my colleague from Wyoming for his work today and for his work on this very, very important issue of chronic wasting disease and prevention. This is an issue of great importance not only to Alabama but to 26 other States-- from Wyoming to Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. This is an issue which, if we fail to act, will result in an environmental and economic crisis. prgtoken Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is truly a terrible, contagious neurological illness that affects all deer, elk, and moose populations nationwide. It is a disease that is as bad as it sounds. It functions much like mad cow disease. prgtoken Senator Barrasso gave all of the scientific words. He has a little bit more training in that than I do. So I will just call it what it is--mad cow disease and neurological disorders. prgtoken It attacks an animal's nervous system and, over time, renders the animal weak and emaciated, with little control over its body. The disease has a fatality rate of 100 percent. Every single animal that contracts this disease dies. It is highly communicable, spreading not only through physical contact but also through contaminated environments where infected animals have been. prgtoken The jury is still out on whether chronic wasting disease may be transmitted to humans, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend against consuming animals contaminated with the disease. In 2017, a Canadian study documented transmission through consumption of contaminated meat to a nonhuman primate. Clearly, this is something to be very concerned and cautious about because of the clear and concrete evidence that it could be transmitted to humans. prgtoken The fact is, the disease is spreading, and it is spreading fast. Even if it does not pose an immediate health threat to humans or at least a documented health threat right now, it poses a serious significant financial threat to Alabama and many other States. prgtoken The total annual economic contribution of deer hunting to the U.S. economy is close to $40 billion. In fact, as a hunting company, if it were a publicly-traded company, it would fall in the top 100 on the Fortune 500 list. prgtoken The hunting industry in Alabama generates $2.6 billion every year for the State's economy, and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, deer hunting alone generates nearly $2 billion or roughly 80 percent of that amount. Obviously, this makes deer hunting sound like a very big business, and it is. It is a big business in Alabama, and it is a big business across the country. prgtoken But make no mistake. It is more than just that. It is more than just an economy. It is more than money that comes into our community. Any hunter in Alabama will tell you that hunting is not only a time-honored tradition and a recreational pastime. It is in our State and in so many others a way of life. prgtoken Hunters in Alabama will also tell you
A BETTER POLICY TOWARD CUBA
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-2-7

. Madam , our policy toward Cuba should be one area where and s can find common ground. prgtoken There are not many communist countries left, but let's consider that, when it came to the old Soviet bloc or China and Vietnam today, we have agreed on the basics. We all differ with their human rights practices, and we say so. prgtoken We stand up for our security interests. We cooperate when we can. We support trade and citizen contact because they are good for our economy and they increase our influence. prgtoken In this vein, let me praise a few s: prgtoken President Nixon for the opening to China; prgtoken President Ford for the Helsinki Accords and the principle that people and information should flow freely across borders; prgtoken President Reagan for vastly expanding engagement with the Soviet Union and its people. prgtoken These are big achievements, none of them terribly controversial, but Cuba is an exception. Only with Cuba do we regulate our own citizens' contact. Only there do we have a trade embargo that limits trade and investment: six decades of embargo, a virtual lifetime of foreign policy failure. prgtoken President clearly realized this as a candidate when he supported President 's opening to Cuba. It was a good idea to bring Cuba ``into the fold,'' he said. Later, he changed his view. prgtoken Now, led by his White House staff, he wants to respond to Cuba's support for the Government of Venezuela by increasing U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba. prgtoken This is a mistake. It will do nothing to change Cuba's conduct; it will not improve the situation in Venezuela; and it will harm American interests. prgtoken Specifically, he is considering allowing title 3 of the Helms-Burton Act to go into effect. This will allow Americans who lost property in Cuba, including Cubans who later became U.S. citizens, to go to U.S. courts to seek damages--three times the value of their property--by suing Cuba, foreign, and even American companies whose businesses in Cuba today are connected to those properties. prgtoken The purpose, as the law's authors made clear in 1996, is to harm Cuba's economy by making it completely inhospitable for foreign investment. prgtoken Now, it is no mystery why Presidents Clinton, , , and blocked title 3 from going into effect every 6 months for the past 23 years. It is hypocritical. It penalizes companies for doing what American companies do all over the world. It is contrary to international law, which recognizes the right of expropriation and requires compensation. prgtoken It is an extraterritorial sanction that guarantees a response from our trading partners, like Canada, Spain, and the EU, including complaints at the World Trade Organization. prgtoken And if you care about agriculture, be warned: prgtoken It will open a new front in the trade war, with all the repercussions that can bring; prgtoken It will allow Cuba to claim victim s
TIFFANY JOSLYN JUVENILE ACCOUNTABILITY BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-2-7

today, I rise in support of H.R. 494, the Tiffany Joslyn Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2019. prgtoken We cannot, as a nation, continue to condemn our children into the criminal justice system. African American youth are significantly more likely to be tried as adults. In 2014, although Black youth were only 14 percent of the juvenile population, they represented 52 percent of the youth tried as adults in this country. prgtoken This legislation reauthorizes important programs that ensure sentences for our young people are appropriate and not excessive, and it funds accountability-based programs to intervene when youth are most vulnerable in the system. I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2019-2-7

I also rise to oppose the amendment of my good friend from Utah. I oppose his amendment, and I will be joining Chairman Murkowski when she moves to table the bill. prgtoken In my view, this is the most significant achievement of this broad public lands package. For the first time, we will be permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This is the glue that holds us all together. prgtoken This is a poison pill. This will not pass if it goes over to the House. prgtoken I encourage the adoption of tabling this amendment.
VETERANS' ACCESS TO CHILD CARE ACT
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-2-7

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I support this amendment because veterans are not immune from the opioid epidemic. They are not immune to alcoholism or substance abuse. When a veteran is also suffering from post-traumatic stress or other serious health conditions that may have caused dependency on a substance, we should do everything we can to make sure that veteran can receive care. prgtoken I thank the gentleman for offering this very important amendment, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.
TRIBUTE TO ANN TAYLOR
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-2-7

I wish to pay tribute to Ann Taylor, who is retiring from Connecticut Children's Medical Center after 19 years of service to the children of Connecticut. prgtoken Dating back to my time as the chairman of the State legislature's Public Health Committee, Ann has been a great friend and counsel to me. I have relied on her policy expertise and acumen, and I have drawn inspiration from her relentless focus on improving the lives of Connecticut's kids. prgtoken Throughout her career, Ann has both led and managed various departments across Connecticut Children's Medical Center, including legal, risk management, compliance, strategic planning, government relations, marketing and communications, and the foundation. Ann has been the voice of Connecticut's kids here in Washington. She successfully advocated for funding that supports Connecticut Children's vital role as an academic medical center, healthcare reform efforts that protect children with preexisting medical conditions, and protections for the Medicaid Program that maintain a critical safety net for more than one-third of Connecticut's children. At the State level, her drive to improve health outcomes for children led her to establish Connecticut Children's Medical-Legal Partnership Project, which is devoted to providing traditional legal representation for children within a comprehensive approach to the child's healthcare needs. The project also worked to secure funding that improved access to care for children and adolescents in behavioral health crisis through the establishment of the CARES unit on the Institute of Living campus. prgtoken On a more personal level, I have seen firsthand the dedication Ann has for every single child who intersects with Connecticut Children's. She doesn't just advocate for broad-based policies; she works for every single patient. I recall working with her for days on one prgtoken single case--a little girl who because of her complicated immigration status was having difficulty getting insurance coverage for her expensive, rare medical condition. Ann worked with me to make sure that little girl got what she needed, so that her life could be extended for a few more years. I am sure Ann went that extra mile for countless other children, and that will likely be the legacy she leaves. prgtoken The impact of Ann's work will be felt by children and families for years to come, and we are grateful for her service. I hope Connecticut realizes how lucky it was to have her fighting for children's healthcare for the last two decades.
ATLANTIC CITY RAIL LINE
Jefferson Van Drew (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-2-7

I rise today to express my disappointment at New Jersey Transit. prgtoken New Jersey Transit promised the public that the Atlantic City project will be finished by early 2019, but recently, it announced that the Atlantic City Rail Line would be closed up to more than 5 months. That is not an inconvenience; that is a disaster. prgtoken My constituents want service to be restored immediately, and they want, most importantly, the truth. That is why a majority of my New Jersey colleagues and I are sending a letter of admonishment to New Jersey Transit. prgtoken , this is the time for New Jersey Transit to do the right thing for the sake of our commuters, to do the right thing for the sake of our workers, and to do the right thing for the State of New Jersey. People's livelihoods and the quality of their lives depend on the Atlantic City Rail Line.
OPEN BOOK ON EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-2-7

I rise in support of H.R. 752 ``Open Book Equal Access to Justice Act'' which will amend titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require the maintenance of databases on awards of fees prgtoken and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party, and for other purposes. prgtoken In 1980, Congress passed the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) as a means to help individuals, retirees, veterans, and small businesses recover attorney's fees and costs associated with suing the federal government. prgtoken Congress intended the EAJA to remove a barrier to justice for those with limited access to the resources it takes to sue the federal government. prgtoken Payments of EAJA attorney's fees come from the budget of the agency who action gave rise to the claim. prgtoken While the original EAJA legislation included a requirement to track payments and report to Congress annually, Congress and the agencies halted tracking and reporting of payments made through EAJA in 1995. prgtoken Without any direction to track payments, most agencies simply do not do it and Congress and taxpayers are unable to exercise oversight over these funds. prgtoken H.R. 752 reinstates the tracking and reporting requirements of the original EAJA legislation by requiring the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) to develop an online, searchable database to facilitate public and Congressional oversight over the program. prgtoken This will allow public access to information on the amount of attorney's fees being paid under EAJA, to whom the taxpayers' money is being paid, and from which agencies. prgtoken The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act helps ensure that agencies are operating under the public eye and that taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively and properly. prgtoken Allowing plaintiffs to recoup legal costs when they sue the federal government for reparations they deserve is only fair. prgtoken Many Americans do not have the resources to take on our sprawling bureaucracy, but EAJA gave them the power to do that by removing a barrier to justice for those with limited access to resources. prgtoken Since the original reporting requirements were halted by Congress, there is no information on payments made under the law. prgtoken Tracking and reporting payments will help preserve the integrity of this law and help Congress make sure it is working effectively for the people it was intended to help. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 752.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-2-7

I would like to bring the Senate's attention to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Fairness Act of 2019, common sense legislation I am introducing with my colleague from Maryland, Senator Van Hollen today. This legislation seeks to eliminate a barrier that potential college students with difficult personal and financial circumstances face when applying for Federal financial aid that too often has left them without a path forward to earning a college education and joining the middle class. prgtoken This body has worked to improve the college application process for students and their families over the last several years and successfully lobbied the Department of Education to allow students and their families to submit their FAFSA application in October and utilize prior prior-year tax data. These changes provide future college students and their families with several months to submit their financial information instead of a short time frame between January and February to meet State and institutional-based deadlines for need- and merit-based financial aid programs. These steps have made it easier for students to sit with their families and make informed financial decisions on which college or university will provide the highest quality yet least expensive college education. prgtoken Despite our work, a number of our students are being left behind and cannot take advantage of these changes. Many of these students face difficult personal and financial situations. For instance, some have left home due to abusive family environments; others may have parents who are incarcerated. Still others may be unable to locate their parents. All of the students in these circumstances are unable to fill out the FAFSA application. Rather than fill out one universal Federal financial aid application form, a potential college student must contact each institution she or he is applying to and undergo a ``dependency override'' process before a college or university will put together an estimated financial aid package for the student. Under this process, a student applying to one university in my State of Maryland, for instance, must submit nine different pieces of financial information, a personal statement, and references to verify their independent status. These students, often first generation students unfamiliar with the process for applying to school, may give up on the dependency override process and fail to finish the college application process or leave significant Federal financial aid on the table. prgtoken , I think it is unfair that we place additional burdens on these students. We should not make opening the door to a brighter future harder than it is already. In Maryland, we know that access to a high-quality, yet affordable, education is the key to success and increasingly required for entry into the middle class. Regardless of a student's background or the circumstan