mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TrumpCare (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise today in opposition to the nomination of Ms. Seema Verma to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. prgtoken As a $1 trillion agency with oversight over Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as State health insurance marketplaces, CMS is providing affordable health insurance to 100 million Americans, including nearly half a million Rhode Islanders. prgtoken Given the responsibility that this post entails of ensuring access to health care coverage for our most vulnerable citizens, coupled with a lack of commitment to fighting back against proposals by this administration and some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to dismantle these programs, I cannot support Ms. Verma's nomination to be CMS Administrator. prgtoken CMS is responsible for a key aspect of the Affordable Care Act--the health insurance marketplaces--which provide an avenue for all consumers to shop for the health insurance options that fit their needs and connect consumers with tax credits and subsidies that make the coverage affordable. prgtoken President and his new Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price are adamant about repealing the ACA and rolling back these benefits. In her confirmation hearing, Ms. Verma was asked multiple times to commit to protecting the ACA for the millions of Americans who were able to access coverage for the first time because of the law, but she would not do so. This, to me, is unacceptable. prgtoken CMS also works with States and other agencies at the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the plans offered on the exchanges are not only affordable but also provide real coverage for when it is most needed. I am concerned with Ms. Verma's beliefs about what health insurance coverage should look like. prgtoken During her confirmation hearing, she spoke at length about providing consumers more choices about their healthcare. Yet she opposes many of the protections the ACA provides for consumers. For example, she implied that she thought maternity care should be optional. It seems to me that for many families, they would be left with the choice to either pay for maternity care entirely out-of-pocket--all the while paying premiums and copays to the insurance company--or to go without care at all. I don't think these are the kinds of choices we should be imposing on families. prgtoken Turning my attention to Medicaid for a minute, I am deeply concerned about the proposals to fundamentally change Medicaid and shift costs to States and to consumers. These proposals aren't new. Year after year, s--often under the leadership of then- Congressman, now-HHS Secretary Tom Price--have proposed block-granting Medicaid, cutting the program by hundreds of billions of dollars. While Ms. Verma is not yet confirmed, she did express support in her confirmation hearing for this very concep
DRIVING DOWN HEALTHCARE COSTS
A. Drew Ferguson IV (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise today in support of the American Health Care Act. For 25 years, I practiced dentistry in Georgia's Third District, and I saw firsthand a healthcare system in need of reform to reduce costs and increase access to care. prgtoken After Care was signed into law, these problems only got worse. I saw my patients, friends, and neighbors forced away from their doctors that they trusted. Instead of decreasing costs, patients saw their premiums skyrocket, their deductibles skyrocket, and their access to care limited. As a healthcare provider, I want to do what is best for my patients. I committed to them that I would come to Congress to repeal Care and undo the damage that it has done to our healthcare system. prgtoken The legislation we are currently considering in the House, the American Health Care Act, is just the first step toward keeping that promise. By passing this legislation, we begin to move the ball down the field and gain yardage rather than continuing to lose ground. This is not our only play. It is the first step in beginning to drive down costs and increasing access to care for patients. prgtoken This legislation will keep our promise to repeal Care and eliminate the government mandates that force people to purchase a product that they don't want. It will allow patients the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions and drive down their costs.
LET'S FIX, NOT FIGHT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-9

last week, I had the opportunity to gather in Upper Senate Park with thousands of individuals from across the country to demand that Congress ``Fix Not Fight'' and work together to build a better, safer, and stronger nation. prgtoken The No Labels Problem Solvers Conference brought together thousands of citizens from across all 50 States to kick-start a year of action in creating a more united path forward for our country. prgtoken Proudly, I have been part of this movement from the beginning. As a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, I hope we can all come to the table, find common ground, and focus on finding solutions. prgtoken Of course, there are some areas where we are never going to agree, and that is okay. Our differences should not divide us. Instead, we must exhibit good governance, good leadership, and serve our constituents in a manner that is worthy of the office we hold. After all, the only way that we will build a better America today and for all generations that follow us is if we come together now. Let's get to work. Support Student Loan Debt Relief for Farmers
NATIONAL LOOK UP DAY FOR ADAM DAVID NUSZEN
Lee M. Zeldin (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise today to honor the life of Adam David Nuszen, who tragically lost his life after struggling with mental illness and addiction. prgtoken Adam, who grew up in my congressional district, had a bright future ahead of him and was taken too soon from his family and community. According to his mother, Linda, ``Adam was the protector of our family. The oldest of three, his arms were always around his siblings and his loyalty was surpassed by his quiet quest for justice. He marveled at the night sky and couldn't resist sharing his enthusiasm with his friends and family. He taught us about the wonder and grandeur of the planets, galaxies and beyond. He was a gifted musician, a poet, a writer, a philosopher and an inventor.'' prgtoken At 22, Adam was suddenly stricken with psychosis and diagnosed with schizophrenia. For ten years,he was in and out of hospitals attempting to balance his disease with normalcy. His illness slowly evolved into the dangerous and devastating world of addiction. Tragically, in November of 2015, Adam lost his life to an overdose while in rehab. prgtoken While in rehab, Linda explained to me that despite his dark times, Adam always managed to remind his loved ones to ``look ups'' or you will miss all that there is in the world. Sadly, their last conversation before he passed, carried this same sentiment and tone. The words look up remain with her today as an important reminder of Adam's character and spirit. prgtoken In honor of Adam David Nuszen, I would like to support Linda's request in declaring Adam's Birthday, March 12, National Look Up Day. This is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness and show support for those struggling with addiction and those we have lost to this disease. As members of Congress, we must all continue to support legislation that addresses the rise in drug and alcohol addiction to stop the tragic loss of life that is devastating our communities and loved ones across the country.
COMMUNITY PHARMACIES
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-3-9

last month Congressman Welch and I introduced legislation H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act. The legislation would help ensure that small business pharmacies get reimbursed at the rate they agreed to when they signed the reimbursement contract with the pharmacy benefit manager (PBMs). prgtoken Our bill would prohibit the PBMs/health plans from retroactively reducing pharmacy reimbursement that has already been contractually agreed to. If you fill up your gas tank when the price is $2.09 per gallon and the price later goes up to $2.15, you won't receive a bill demanding payment for the extra six cents per gallon. The same principle should apply to our community pharmacists. They deserve to be reimbursed based on the price of drugs when they are dispensed, not when they are charged. The fact that the PBMs can even do this points to the need for action on this bill and the need for broader Congressional scrutiny of large PBMs. prgtoken Most Americans don't know who the large PBMs are and what they do-- three large PBMs control roughly 78 percent of the market and manage pharmacy benefits for more than 180 million Americans. PBMs not only manage benefits for insurance companies and employers, they also own their own pharmacies whether that is mail order, specialty or retail. prgtoken Unfortunately small pharmacies in Southwest Virginia and Vermont have dealt with direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees for the last few years and the fees are only getting worse. The inability of small business community pharmacy owners to plan in advance for these retroactive fees is truly threatening their ability to operate. prgtoken Additionally these fees push patients into the donut hole faster than they would otherwise, a fact that CMS has stated. CMS has also stated these fees are increasing costs to the government, especially in the catastrophic phase of the Part D program. Virtually all catastrophic costs in Part D are borne by the government, and they have increased dramatically in recent years--from $10 billion in 2010 to $33 billion in 2015--fueled by pharmacy DIR fees. These PBMs have an extremely robust business relationship with the Federal Government in Part D, FEHB and DOD TRICARE so it certainly seems possible that the Federal Government could be paying more for prescription drugs than it should be. prgtoken Our bill was introduced with 15 original cosponsors and we hope that it will see action in the 115th Congress. Prohibiting retroactive fees like this would help CMS have a better ability to understand all the prescription drug spending that is occurring in Medicare Part D. Additionally, Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jon Tester (D- MT) introduced prgtoken identical legislation on the Senate side which seeks to attain the same goals. We very much appreciate their leadership on this issue.
Homeland Security (Executive Session)
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-3-9

when President began his campaign for the White House, he made national security and, in particular, homeland security a cornerstone of his platform. His calls to secure the border to keep terrorists off U.S. soil and to protect our communities struck a chord with a large majority of Americans who for years felt that Washington ignored their very real concerns about our porous borders and broken immigration system. prgtoken As expected, the President moved quickly to deliver on his promises to fix this broken system. This week, the administration rolled out a revised version of this Executive order aimed at restoring confidence in the procedures we have used to vet refugees fleeing from nations that are known to harbor radical and violent extremists. prgtoken The revised version appears to have benefited from the engagement of the President's Cabinet, especially the key input of Homeland Security Secretary Kelly. This valuable input underscores how important it is for the President to have his team in place to govern effectively. prgtoken Senate have slowed the confirmation process at every turn. I encourage them to abandon the political games so we can quickly fill the remaining vacancies that require Senate confirmation. prgtoken It is vital that every affected agency is engaged in these types of decisions. That isn't possible if the Senate is failing to do its duty to confirm the President's nominees. Congress has many problems to tackle, but protecting our Nation is at the top of that list. That requires we work together to govern. prgtoken It also requires we take a step back from the heated rhetoric and have honest conversations. Taking the fundamental steps to protect our homeland does not diminish the fact that we are a welcoming nation that strives to help the vulnerable. prgtoken It is no secret that ISIS and other volatile extremists want to exploit our Nation's generosity and welcoming spirit to sneak terrorists onto American soil. This plan has worked well in Europe. ISIS believes it can work here as well. We can, and must, take reasonable measures to prevent that. prgtoken It is reasonable, responsible, in fact, to put a pause on accepting refugees from these nations in order to fix the flaws in the process and instill confidence in the system. The revised order removes Iraq from the list of countries. That is a move in the right direction. It shows that the Iraqis have taken the right steps in agreeing to increase their cooperation with us, and effecting positive outcomes in our relations with these nations is what this pause is all about. prgtoken Four of the countries on this list don't even have a U.S. Embassy. So you can understand how difficult it is to get a complete picture of the refugees seeking asylum from those countries when we don't even have a means by which to communicate. prgtoken Once the President's Executive order goes into effect, every countr
FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-3-9

on March 3, 2017, I was grateful to present a Congressional Gold Medal to Joseph Moore of Lexington, South Carolina for his service with the First Special Service Force, a U.S.--Canadian unit of volunteers, who initiated the liberation of Europe at Anzio, Italy, in January 1944. prgtoken During the presentation with his family, he presented me with an extraordinary prayer which was read by Eugene Gutierrez at the 2015 Reunion of the First Special Service Force. The following prayer was found on the body of an American soldier killed in action on the beachhead at Anzio: Look God, I have never spoken to you. But now I want to say, ``How do you do?'' You see, God, they told me you didn't exist. And like a fool, I believed all this. Last night from a shell hole, I saw your sky And figured then they had told me a lie. Had I taken time to see things you made, I'd have known they weren't calling a spade a spade. I wonder, God, if you'd shake my hand? Somehow, I feel you will understand. Funny, I had to come to see your face. Well, I guess there isn't much more to say. But, I'm sure glad, God, I met you today. I guess the zero hour will soon be here, But I'm not afraid since I know you are near. There's the signal . . . I've got to go. I like you lots, I want you to know. Look now, this will be a horrible fight. Who knows, I may come to your house tonight. Though I wasn't friendly to you before, I wonder, God, if you'd wait at your door? Look, I'm crying . . . me, shedding tears. I wish I had known you these many years. Well, I have to go now, God, goodbye . . . Strange, since I met you, I'm not afraid to die.
HONORING U.S. NAVY SEABEE'S ON THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Steven M. Palazzo (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise today to honor the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion, also known as the Seabees, and congratulate them on their 75th Anniversary. In the opening weeks of World War II, the U.S. Navy began to organize unique and specialized construction battalions to support the building and maintaining of infrastructure in remote island locations throughout the Pacific. On March 5, 1942, these construction battalions were named Seabees by the Department of the Navy and served a vital role in meeting the logistical and strategical challenges the United States faced in the war effort. prgtoken Over the past 75 years, the Seabees have met continued challenges in strengthening our national security in times of war and peace. They have been responsible for building and maintaining numerous military support facilities throughout the world, such as military bases, as well as hundreds of miles of airstrips, roadways and bridges. From the beginning of the Second World War to our present day military operations, the Seabees have performed up to the highest standard and have done so while demonstrating outstanding courage, bravery and determination. They have even been immortalized on the silver screen in the 1944 film, The Fighting Seabees starring John Wayne. prgtoken In honoring the Seabees, let us remember the tremendous sacrifices that these brave men and women, as well as their families, have made in dedicated service to their country for the past 75 years. As a U.S. Marine and current member of the Mississippi National Guard, I can personally attest to how important their service and sacrifice is to the success of our military. prgtoken I am proud to represent Mississippi's 4th district, home to the Naval Construction Battalion Center, where in just the past year, thousands of Seabees, sailors, airmen and soldiers have received training. We congratulate the U.S. Navy Seabees on their 75th Anniversary and reaffirm our commitment to their service.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 720, LAWSUIT ABUSE REDUCTION ACT OF 2017, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 985, FAIRNESS IN CLASS ACTION LITIGATION ACT OF 2017
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-3-9

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I think what we are hearing today--and I think what we are going through in the process--is issues of real change, issues of discussions that have been going on in our country for really now almost 8 years. It has been 7 years since the Affordable Care Act, Care, was passed. prgtoken We are seeing the changes that have taken place, , from your time here and my time here on really dealing with the American people and dealing with the substances of what their concerns and fears are. The things that I have come before this body and debated many times were what does the view look like from outside of this Chamber. prgtoken Inside this Chamber, we have raucous debates. We have discussions on things. And at the end of the day, I believe sometimes, , those sitting at home say: Does anybody listen to me? Does anybody hear my call? prgtoken Over the past few years, we have seen through election results and we have seen through times of change here in this body that the Affordable Care Act is nothing like affordable. In fact, as many have described it, it has been in a death spiral. We are beginning to work on that. prgtoken Now, I understand how that can make the other side, the ones who gave us the Affordable Care Act, Care, not want to see that changed. I can appreciate that. prgtoken Reality must set in at some point, and reality says that to defend something that is failing is asking for a status quo that hurts people. Now, I believe my friends across the aisle don't want to do that, but that is what they are doing, holding onto a legacy that is only a legacy for many of heartbreak and problems. prgtoken Did it help in some ways? Are we finding some? Did we address issues over the past few years and begin the discussion of preexisting conditions, keeping our children on until 26, and removing caps? Those were all discussed and could have been handled in many different ways besides the government takeover of health care. prgtoken Instead, we chose to use an ideological position to begin the process of moving forward, and moving forward in which government will put its fingers on the scale and government will begin to say what is right and what is wrong. What we found in the whole process was our individual mark is destroyed. prgtoken I have had some of my colleagues actually say: Let's just start over and go back to the way it was. That would be nice, except that land doesn't exist anymore. prgtoken Even if you wanted to--and I don't think we need to--we need to move forward with free-market solutions that put access to affordable health care for all Americans on the table, so that we can actually bend the cost curve so that we can actually work to help people. That is what we are working on. We are going to continue to work on making a smooth transition from the disaster that many of us have seen over the past few years. When we do that, change will
PAKISTAN IS NOT ON OUR SIDE
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-9

it is no surprise Pakistan is not the friend they portray themselves to be. They are a devious, deceptive, and disloyal ally. prgtoken For years they have supported the Taliban by providing them cover, cash, and weapons. However, this Benedict Arnold ally is among the leading recipients of U.S. foreign assistance for the last 14 years. prgtoken , we don't need to pay Pakistan to betray us, they will do it for free. prgtoken The Taliban's headquarters is, you guessed it, in Pakistan. When a U.S. drone attack took out the Taliban's leader in May 2016, he was in Pakistan. prgtoken This should be the last rodeo for Pakistan. This is why I have introduced the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act. The bill requires the administration to issue a report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a justification as to why it is not. prgtoken It is time to determine whose side Pakistan is on. And, , they are not on our side. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
FAIRNESS IN CLASS ACTION LITIGATION ACT OF 2017
Bob Goodlatte (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-3-9

this amendment should be defeated. prgtoken Insofar as a class action seeks equitable relief, that is, the nonmonetary relief, including any injunctive relief that seeks to stop the defendant from doing something wrong, the portion of any class action lawyer's fee should be limited to a reasonable percentage of the value of that relief as determined by the court. prgtoken This provision won't affect fee awards in civil rights cases because both the monetary and equitable relief attorney's fees provision in this bill are qualified with the initial phrase, ``unless otherwise specified by Federal statute.'' prgtoken The Civil Rights Attorney's Fee Award Act of 1976 allows a court, in its discretion, to award reasonable attorney's fees as part of the costs to a prevailing party in Federal civil rights lawsuits, including cases brought under 28 U.S.C. section 1983, the statute most commonly used to assert civil rights claims. Consequently, this bill won't affect attorney's fees in civil rights class actions at all. prgtoken Regarding other equitable relief cases that don't involve civil rights claims, Federal courts routinely determine the value of intangible relief such prgtoken as equitable or injunctive relief for purposes of determining whether the amount in controversy requirement--currently, $75,000 to get into court--is met. prgtoken A majority of courts consider only the value of the injunctive relief from the plaintiff's perspective or viewpoint. Some courts determine the jurisdictional amount by evaluating the claim from the perspective of the party seeking Federal court jurisdiction. Others have adopted the ``either viewpoint'' rule, which allows the court to look to either the plaintiff's or the defendant's viewpoint in establishing the amount in controversy in cases seeking some form of injunctive relief. prgtoken The bottom line is that, under this bill, Federal courts will be able to use either approach in deciding the value of the injunctive relief provided to class members; and generally speaking, counsel should be paid on the basis of what lawyers actually deliver to their clients. prgtoken This base bill, of course, does not alter in any way the relief that would be granted to equitable relief class action members. It only limits the fees attorneys would receive to a reasonable percentage of the value of what the class members actually received. So all this amendment would do would be to put more money in the hands of lawyers and less in the hands of victims. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and .