mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VA ACCOUNTABILITY FIRST ACT OF 2017
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-16

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I rise in opposition to this bill, and I adopt many of the premises that my friend, Mr. Walz, adopted. prgtoken I also adopt the premise of Dr. Roe, who is a really dear friend of mine, that Tim Walz is the kind of guy you wouldn't mind riding across the country with. That is because he is honest, he is knowledgeable, and he is sincere. Frankly, I attribute all of those same characteristics to Dr. Roe. prgtoken But, , I rise in opposition to this bill. Everybody on this floor agrees that our veterans deserve the best care possible. There is no debate about that. All of us in this House are focused on that goal. But this bill does nothing to meet that goal, in my view. This bill is part of--and I do not ascribe it to Dr. Roe--a significantly long history of a partisan effort to scapegoat Federal civil servants that has been going on for decades, long before Dr. Roe got in it or Mr. Walz got in it. prgtoken It is a follow-on to the dangerous hiring freeze the administration imposed in January and the repeated attempts over the last several years to extract more and more cuts from Federal employees' pay and benefits, which contributed over $150 billion in cuts in pay and benefits over the last 6 years. Stripping away the rights of VA employees to work in a nonpartisan, professional environment will not improve the care our veterans and their families deserve and expect from the VA medical system. prgtoken This bill, in my view, would undermine the collective bargaining rights--I am a very strong supporter of collective bargaining rights-- of VA employees serving as doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and others in critical jobs, and disrupt the collaborative relationship between VA managers and employees that is essential to a successful workplace environment. prgtoken Many years ago--almost 100 years ago--we adopted a civil service system. The premise of that system is we ought to have professional employees--not political employees, not political appointees--not subject to change because of the political whims that may be blowing one way or the other. This bill risks demoralizing those who have tirelessly been working to help our veterans reintegrate into civilian life in communities across this country. prgtoken Let me make it clear--and I am sure Dr. Roe is not surprised when I say this--that I agree with Mr. Walz. If there is an employee who is not performing well, that employee ought not to be kept on. But this bill removes the process that was negotiated, or could be negotiated, in a collective bargaining way. And if, by the way, it takes 300-plus days, then perhaps this legislation could deal with that to shorten it. There are ways this could be dealt with that, in my view, will not undermine the civil service protections that are important not only for the employees, but for the system itself. prgtoken I have no doubt there are m
DEFEAT TRUMPCARE
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-3-16

24 million Americans will lose their health insurance. They will become uninsured. We call it Care, as it should be called. prgtoken For 7 years, s have said they have a better alternative to the Affordable Care Act. President promised on the campaign trail that s would put forward a plan that would have insurance for everybody which would be far less expensive and far better for the American people. prgtoken We now know the Congressional Budget Office report says that 24 million people will lose their health insurance, including 7 million who will lose their insurance they currently have through their employers. prgtoken Older Americans waiting to get on Medicare would be charged five times what they pay now. It reduces the Medicare trust fund, and it cuts 25 percent in Medicaid, a program that provides care for children and senior citizens. prgtoken , this plan is both heartless and financially unsound. This repeal bill does not lower premiums or out-of-pocket costs nor does it expand access to care, and it provides a huge tax cut poorly disguised as a healthcare bill. prgtoken We need to defeat this bill.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-16

we send our servicemen and -women overseas in harm's way to protect our country because we know that freedom isn't free. So it is fundamental, as we, with such vigor, ask them to go to the battlefield, that we protect them when they are off the battlefield. And it is fundamental that, when they return, they have a world-class hospital system. prgtoken Now, today we begin consideration of H.R. 1367, which is exciting because it is a bipartisan bill to improve the VA's authority to hire, train, and retain physicians and other critical staff in the Veterans Health Administration. prgtoken Over the last 5 years, we have seen more than 2 million veterans enroll in the VA healthcare system, and we believe--both parties believe that nothing should stand in the way of any veteran having confidence in and access to care and benefits they earned and deserve. prgtoken I represent the central Florida area, and we are so honored to have a brand new Orlando VA, in a high-growth area, and the need is great. I was also honored to be able to have an office right across the street from the VA hospital that we just opened up last week, to be in proximity and to help our veterans. prgtoken But I can tell you, having met with some of our veterans already, we are looking at 3- to 6-month waits, even in a new facility. prgtoken A gentleman, who I will refer to as Mr. Smith so that I don't divulge his personal information, came to me yesterday, and he had issues with a podiatrist. He was not able to see them over the next couple of weeks. And in his goat farm in my district, he is unable to pursue his gainful employment, and we are trying to get him in over the next 2 weeks, but it could be 3 to 4 weeks. prgtoken So we need to stand together to restore trust and accountability and fill these positions. And so I applaud both parties, and I am excited for the Veterans' Affairs Committee to take this bold action to recruit and retain the most talented workforce, which is well-needed to provide quality and timely medical care for our Nation's veterans, for those in central Florida, Florida, and beyond.
COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF CAMP FIRE'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE KID DAY
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise to commemorate the 20th year of Camp Fire's Absolutely Incredible Kid Day, which observed the third Thursday in March and is devoted to sending uplifting messages to the youth in their lives. prgtoken Founded in 1910, by Luther Gulick, M.D and his wife, Charlotte Gulick, Camp Fire is a leading national youth development organization that guides ``young people on their journey to self-discovery.'' prgtoken As founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Children's caucus, I understand the importance of encouraging and supporting our youth to grow and thrive in this world. prgtoken Camp Fire's Absolutely Incredible Kid Day honors our nation's youth by asking adults to write letters of encouragement and inspiration to the incredible kids in their lives. prgtoken This is a simple and impactful way to let the youth know how much people care and support them. prgtoken There are numerous ways for adults to participate in this call to action including using social media to tag, tweet, post, and write letters of love and support to kids. prgtoken The campaign has received the critical acclaim of child and family care experts, award winning authors, noted psychologists, and adults and kids everywhere, including Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families; Tipper Gore, who is a leading child advocate; and the famous Astronaut, the late U.S. Senator John Glenn. prgtoken Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey, and Cindy Crawford have also given their support to Absolutely Incredible Kid Day. prgtoken In Houston, Texas we know that it truly takes an entire community to raise a child. prgtoken Houston has a distinct history of uplifting the youth in our community so they can excel in any area they choose. prgtoken A few examples of Houstonians who have benefited from community support are: the entertaining Beyonce Knowles Carter; the hilarious Jim Parsons, from the Big Bang Theory; prgtoken the talented actor Isaiah. Washington, from Grey's Anatomy; and Simone Biles, who set the record for the most gold medals in women's gymnastics at a single Olympic games. prgtoken I rise to reaffirm my support for our youth and commend the Camp Fire organization on their Absolutely Incredible Kid Day initiative which reminds adults to let children know that they are loved and supported by their families and members of their community.
VETERANS 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-16

I would like to thank my colleague from Connecticut for yielding me time. prgtoken , I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1181, which has very little, if anything, to do with protecting veterans' Second Amendment rights as the bill's title suggests. prgtoken I am a 30-year veteran of the United States Army. I served in Iraq. I have led soldiers in both combat support and combat service support units in the active and reserve components. prgtoken Our servicemen and -women face harsh realities in harsh environments--not just in wartime, but in peacetime as well. Military life, , is a hard life during war and in peace. It takes a toll on the body and the mind. The number of military members seeking mental and behavioral health services in the last 16 years, as well as the mental health-related incidences involving soldiers and veterans, substantiates my point. prgtoken But our soldiers are resilient, and that is no less true when we take off the uniform. prgtoken But for many of our veterans, it might take some extra help, some extra time, to recover from that harsh and sometimes traumatic military experience. prgtoken As a nation, we must support our veterans in recovering from that experience not only by providing the benefits they deserve, but by protecting their right to enjoy the rights that they have defended. prgtoken But, , H.R. 1181 misses the mark. When a determination is made that a veteran is mentally incompetent or incapacitated, for whatever reason, that determination is made to protect them, not to punish or deprive them. When that determination is made, we owe it to our veterans not to put a weapon in their hand, but, rather, to put the full weight of a responsive mental health system at their disposal. prgtoken We entrusted our soldiers with a weapon while in uniform, so let's treat our veterans with the same expectations and standards of safety when they take off the uniform. If the unintended consequences of the current law, as the bill's supporters claim, are too broad and disqualified too many of our veterans from responsible gun ownership, then let's work together to tackle that issue. prgtoken However, this bill goes too far and would prohibit the VA Secretary from sharing important information with law enforcement on veterans who might be a danger to themselves or to others. prgtoken Unfortunately, , H.R. 1181 misses the mark and ignores the responsibility to safeguard and take care of our veterans who have sacrificed so much to protect our Nation. prgtoken , I include in the Record three documents, and they are the testimony of Brigadier General Xenakis, an op-ed from General Chiarelli, as well as testimony submitted by Jeffrey Swanson. Testimony of Brigadier General (Ret) Stephen N. Xenakis, MD erik erikson scholar, the austen riggs center prgtoken Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, Hearing June 24, 2015
COMMEMORATING THE TRANSFER OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS FROM DENMARK TO THE UNITED STATES
Stacey E. Plaskett (Democrat, VI) \u2014 2017-3-16

later today, I intend to reintroduce a resolution commemorating the transfer of the U.S. Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States. In that resolution, it discusses the 1733 slave revolt, the first slave revolt in the Western Hemisphere; the 1848 slave rebellion and emancipation, 17 years before the United States; and, of course, the 1917 transfer of ownership of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the U.S. prgtoken We also discussed great Virgin Islanders, such as Alton Adams, Edward Blyden, Camille Pissarro, Judah Benjamin, and Roy Innis. prgtoken What does the transfer mean, and what have been the gains and benefits to the people of the Virgin Islands because of the purchase by the United States? The Americans were able to receive a pristine, geopolitically strategic location in the Caribbean with a people who are loyal to and proud of this country. prgtoken What has been given to the Virgin Islanders, a people willing and eager to take on the responsibilities of that citizenship but who, in fact, have moved from a system of serfdom, under Danish rule, to second-class, limited prgtoken privileged citizenship by the United States? prgtoken We need to take this time in this centennial transfer year to look at what have been the gains and for the U.S. to make a more perfect Union by more perfect citizenship and more inclusion of the U.S. Virgin Islands into the United States.
RECOGNIZING RESIGNATION OF MUSTAFA ALI
A. Donald McEachin (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise today in recognition of Mr. Mustafa Ali's 24 years of service to the health and wellness of the American people. prgtoken On March 7, Mr. Ali sent his resignation to Administrator Scott Pruitt. He resigned from his post as the leader of the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Justice program. prgtoken For more than 2 decades, Mr. Ali led our Nation's leaders on environmental justice in their search for equalizing the playing field for vulnerable communities that have been victims of actions that threaten their public health and the quality of their air, water, and land. prgtoken In his letter, Mr. Ali said, in part: Communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous populations are still struggling to receive equal protections before the law. These communities, both rural and urban, often live in areas with toxic levels of air pollution, crumbling or nonexistent water and sewer infrastructure, lead in their drinking water, brownfields from vacant former industrial and commercial sites, Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, as well as other sources of exposures to pollutants. Despite the many challenges we face regarding the impacts of pollution and a changing climate, we have just as many effective tools and programs, with long track records of assisting vulnerable communities in meeting their goals of improving public health and enhancing the environmental quality of their local communities. prgtoken Mr. Ali's resignation is a signal for me. In my eyes, a longtime soldier in the fight to level the playing field for all Americans to live in a clean environment left the Environmental Protection Agency because it was no longer welcoming for individuals who want to work with facts. prgtoken As we await the President's fiscal year 2018 budget, we need to remember how impactful Environmental Justice programs are to our constituents' health. Flint is one of the most salient examples of what can happen when environmental justice watchdogs are not empowered to do their good work.
WAR IS BEING DECLARED ON THE GREAT LAKES
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-3-16

I rise today because war is being declared on the Great Lakes. Those of us who live in the Great Lakes region recognize that the current times are anything but useful. prgtoken The Great Lakes account for 21 percent of the world's freshwater supply and are a major thoroughfare for transportation, commerce, trade, as well as recreation and tourism. Critical investments over the last decade have helped clean up and protect these waters, and that work is now in danger. Much is preventable and it must be stopped. prgtoken President 's budget released today virtually eliminates funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which will cause significant harm to our communities, to jobs, and to our way of life. This jeopardizes our ability to fight back against invasive species that threaten the region's biodiversity, including the Asian carp. It also impacts vital cleanup projects that ensure our water is safe to drink. And there are those who want to store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes as well. It is not a partisan issue; it is an American issue.
VETERANS 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT
Elizabeth H. Esty (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-3-16

I include in the Record a letter from Everytown for Gun Safety and a coalition letter led by the Newtown Action Alliance signed by over 40 organizations from around the country opposing this bill. Everytown for Gun Safety, New York, NY, March 7, 2017. Re Reject H.R. 1181, which would put U.S. veterans in danger. Hon. Phil Roe, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington,
SKINNY BUDGET
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-3-16

this morning, President has released the first budget proposal of his administration. prgtoken In reading through the budget proposal, I am reminded of what President said in the summer when he was speaking to the African- American community in a rally in Philadelphia. prgtoken He said: What do you have to lose? prgtoken This is what we have to lose: eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant program, whose sole purpose is to combat poverty nationwide. prgtoken This is what we have to lose: cutting funding for Head Start and before- and after-school programs for our kids does not give them a chance to get ahead. prgtoken This is what we have to lose: stripping funding for Medicaid in your new healthcare law that provides critical services for our most vulnerable. prgtoken This is what we have to lose: all of those cuts do not give our seniors, our children, and our working families a chance to get ahead. prgtoken Our communities have too much to lose, . Our communities need the opportunity to make crucial investments that make our neighborhoods stronger block by block.
WAITING FOR CENSURE, DENUNCIATIONS, AND REBUKES
Luis V. Gutiérrez (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-16

I use Twitter and have about 65,000 followers, which is pretty modest by standards; but my staff is smart enough to keep the launch code secret from me so that when I say something, we find the right words to express what I want to say, and occasionally, very occasionally, I have a chance to cool down before I fire off a tweet. But this week we learned that one of our colleagues doesn't have a reasonable staff person who helps him think through his tweets. prgtoken On Sunday, Steve King of Iowa tweeted out his love and praise for the anti-Muslim nationalist candidate in Holland who is running on an explicitly White supremacist platform; anti-immigration, anti-Islam, anti-refugee, anti-people of color. This candidate is the full White nationalist package. And apparently, King and Geert Wilders are very good friends. prgtoken In his tweet, Representative King says: ``Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We cannot restore our civilization with somebody else's babies.'' prgtoken Let that sink in for a moment. prgtoken In context, what it means is: A, Steve King believes Western civilization is under attack by outsiders; and, B, those outsiders can never be assimilated or be considered part of our civilization. prgtoken God knows what Representative King would think of my grandson who likes to tell me that in this arm he is Puerto Rican and in this one he is Mexican. But he says: ``Grandpa, right here, I am 100 percent American.'' prgtoken You think: My grandson, yeah, he is right, and the Congressman from Iowa is wrong. I think my grandson is every bit as American as Steve King or I am. prgtoken I was born during Jim Crow, when separate but equal was the law of the land. But during my lifetime, we fought segregation and racism, and my daughters have been fighting it even more in their generation, so that exclusion, segregation, and racial hatred are no longer the law of the land. prgtoken Now, at least as far as I am concerned, my grandson, who was born in America, is an American, whether Steve King likes it or not. Born in Illinois, he is not someone else's baby. He is 100 percent American. He is part of our civilization, and he is the future of America, along with Steve King's grandchildren. prgtoken Just to be clear, Representative King's message was warmly received and retweeted by none other than David Duke, the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, who has been a very proud candidate on numerous occasions. prgtoken Duke said: ``Just in case you were thinking of moving, sanity reigns supreme in Iowa's Fourth Congressional District,'' and, ``God bless Steve King.'' prgtoken Oh, but Representative King was not done. He is never done. He did an interview with an Iowa talk radio show where he discussed ``the plan'' of television anchorman Jorge Ramos to make White people the minority in America, causing King to respond that: ``I will predict that Hispanics and the Blacks w
VA ACCOUNTABILITY FIRST ACT OF 2017
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-3-16

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise to speak on my second amendment to H.R. 1259, Kuster amendment No. 8. I am concerned that an unintended consequence of the bill before us would be retaliation against whistleblowers at the VA. prgtoken After my 4 years on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and my time as ranking member of its Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, I know that whistleblower protections are a bipartisan issue for our committee, and I know that this Congress recognizes the incredible importance of whistleblowers at the VA. prgtoken Whistleblowers provided many details that made Congress and the public aware of the Phoenix scandal. They provided valuable information in uncovering the Aurora construction debacle. Whistleblowers save lives and save taxpayer money. Unfortunately, whistleblowers are sometimes targeted for retaliation by their supervisors. My amendment seeks to address this. prgtoken My amendment requires supervisors to detail their efforts to correct poor performance and misconduct, efforts that come before the procedures outlined by this bill. It requires supervisors to detail the efforts they have made to improve their work environment and ensure that employees of their team uphold the primary mission of the VA: to serve and to honor our Nation's veterans. prgtoken The amendment will also improve training of supervisors to ensure they are equipped to be leaders that improve employee performance and the quality of care at the VA. More importantly, this enhanced training will include instruction on the rights of whistleblowers and how to address concerns or complaints raised by them. prgtoken These provisions could help to protect those whistleblowers who are actually experiencing retaliation because it would provide evidence of the past actions a supervisor has taken to address alleged misconduct, and it will highlight leadership shortfalls that could implicate attempted actions taken against an employee. prgtoken Together, these provisions will proactively improve the culture of management at the VA so it reflects the virtue and quality that Congress has strived to achieve for so many years. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of my amendment, Kuster No. 8. prgtoken , .