mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5698, PROTECT AND SERVE ACT OF 2018; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S. 2372, VETERANS CEMETERY BENEFIT CORRECTION ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2...
Rob Woodall (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-5-16

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I don't claim to know as much about the farm bill as my friend from Massachusetts does. He has the privilege of representing his constituents both on the Rules Committee and on the Ag Committee. prgtoken I represent my constituents on the Rules Committee and on the Budget Committee. I work with CBO day in and day out, as my colleague knows. prgtoken CBO is absolutely charged with being the nonpartisan scorekeeper in all of these budgetary matters. But as the gentleman recalls, having worked for a former member of the Rules Committee himself, when s passed and President Clinton signed the unfunded mandates point of order, it was designed with one goal and one goal only in mind, and that was to make sure that when Congress acts, it considers the impacts of folks back home. It considers whether or not it is shirking a responsibility in Washington and shifting that responsibility to State and local governments back home. prgtoken I will tell you with certainty, , that not a single Member on this side of the aisle has wavered in that commitment from when this bill passed in 1995 until today. prgtoken What my friend from Massachusetts references are programs that are implemented by the States in order to receive a Federal benefit. We see this happen all the time, day in and day out. You get all the transportation money that you want, but you need to alter your speed limit if you want to receive that transportation money. You can get all the transportation money you want, but you need to deal with your drinking age if you want to get that money. prgtoken What we are talking about today at its core, , is whether or not, at a time when we have the lowest unemployment rate in my lifetime, at a time when we have more jobs available to be filled in America than ever before in American history, whether it is a burden to say if you want to receive a Federal benefit, that being food stamps, that you should try to find a job first. If you can't find that job, we should get you enrolled in a job training program so that you can find the job. prgtoken At the end of the day, the farm bill aims to do two things with the SNAP program: number one, is continue to provide a safety net for families in need. But number two, to make sure it remains that net and tries to lift folks prgtoken out of poverty instead of trap them in poverty for generations to come. prgtoken , this unfunded mandates point of order, I was in Congress at the time that it passed, has been a speed bump, a needed speed bump in the consideration of legislation time and time again. prgtoken Now, sadly, more often than not, we see it as a dilatory tactic on the House floor. We see it raised as something just to try to slow down the process and gum up the works. prgtoken That is not what is happening here today. I want to stipulate that that is true. prgtoken My friend from Massachusetts raises a legitimate
CHIP RESCISSION
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-5-16

the second topic I wish to touch on today is a subject that is apparently misunderstood, and it is certainly wildly mischaracterized. It is the subject of rescissions. It has become a topic of conversation since the President--the administration--has proposed a rescission. A rescission relates to our budget process. It is when money originally authorized by Congress to be spent on a program but actually is not spent--that authorization is revoked, it is rescinded, but it is with respect to money that was never spent. prgtoken Now, specifically, I want to discuss how this relates to the Children's Health Insurance Program, which is often referred to by the acronym CHIP--the CHIP program. So if you follow recent media reports and comments by some of our colleagues, and even some industry stakeholders, boy, it sure seems like there is a lot of confusion. prgtoken Let me state an unequivocal fact. Since 2011, there have been rescissions from CHIP every single year. This is not new. It has happened every single year since 2011. prgtoken Now, is that because Congress decides during the course of each year that they don't really like the CHIP program or they don't like children or they don't want kids to get health insurance? No, that is not why it happens. The reason it happens each and every year is because Congress systematically, intentionally, and willfully authorizes far more money for the CHIP program than it is ever going to actually spend. prgtoken We have a chart that illustrates this. We can see the vertical columns. The red bars show how much money Congress has authorized in the years to the left of the dotted line. Those are historical years. To the right of the dotted line is the projected future years. So the red bars are how much money Congress has authorized for the CHIP program. The green line shows how much of that money actually gets spent on the program. We can see that in each and every year the red bar is way above the green line. It has been going on back to 2009; it is every single year, and if we continue on our current path, that will continue to be the case as far as we can see going into the future. prgtoken Now, take a particular year; for example, this year, 2018. We expect the Federal Government is going to spend $16 billion on the program. Now, because of the nature of the way this program works and certain features, it is possible we will spend $16.1 billion. It is possible it will end up being $15.99 billion, but we know $16 billion is enough to provide the Federal share of funding for the children enrolled by their States, but, as I say, we don't know it with precise precision right to the last dollar. prgtoken So knowing it is going to be about $16 billion, how much money do we think Congress authorized for this program that is going to cost $16 billion? The answer is $25 billion. So $25 billion, when we know for a fact--everybody, including our ic colleagu
VETERANS CEMETERY BENEFIT CORRECTION ACT
David P. Roe (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-5-16

the balance of my time. prgtoken , I want to thank everyone who was involved in this process, beginning with the staff, who have been heavily involved in this. Both the side and ic side worked for the last, really, almost 18 months. prgtoken I want to thank our Senate colleagues on the other side of this Capitol who worked very hard and the hours that went into this. The real winners here are our Nation's heroes, the veterans. prgtoken This VA MISSION Act does a community care where veterans can get high-quality care both inside the VA and out when the VA can't do that. We have heard speakers down here from areas that don't have a VA hospital. They absolutely rely on that. prgtoken I was in Oregon a few months ago and realized that some veterans had to drive 5 hours to a VA facility. They need the community care bill in their community. We provide the funding for that bill to bridge us over until the new Secretary implements that. prgtoken We have a caregiver. I am a Vietnam-era veteran, and I have seen many catastrophically injured Vietnam veterans whose families struggled for decades. 520-plus Vietnam veterans are dying every day. It is time we implement this bill and get these needed benefits to those World War II and veterans up to 9/11. prgtoken We need to rightsize the VA. Healthcare is not provided like it used to be. It has become much more sophisticated and streamlined. And outpatient, the VA needs to get to be able to do that also. That is what the AIR Act is about. We are increasing the internal capacity so we can train and get new clinicians and providers in. prgtoken The speaker, Sam Johnson, who spoke a minute ago, said it all. We should be able to look at that hero, who is a true American hero, and listen to his speech, which brought tears to my eyes, and vote for this bill. prgtoken , .
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
K. Michael Conaway (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-5-16

. Mr. Chair, I would like to recognize the fact that this brand-spanking-new program that never had any funding is authorized in the bill for discretionary spending to create the scholarship program that has just been referenced. There was no money taken out of the bill, because there was never any money in the program. prgtoken We simply recognized the need and we set that program up in place as a direct result of the gentleman's passionate plea for a scholarship program. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Rick W. Allen (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-5-16

I rise today to urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. prgtoken I have the great honor of representing Georgia's 12th District where agriculture is the number one industry. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, my colleagues and I have worked diligently to craft a farm bill that works for our farmers and provides them the ability to provide a safe, secure, and economic food supply to this Nation. prgtoken H.R. 2 improves the current farm safety net structure and offers farmers the choice between PLC and ARC for each covered commodity under title I to combat the downturn in the farm economy. It also makes strides in getting Americans back to work by helping those on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance. prgtoken I am the son of a farmer. I spent 35 years in the business community creating jobs. The greatest joy of my life is to give folks the dignity and respect they deserve to have a good job. prgtoken How could we deny folks this opportunity? prgtoken This bill gives them that opportunity. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this important bill. Our farmers and our people need us.
NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-5-16

the Senate will soon be taking up my resolution recognizing this month of May as National Foster Care Month. prgtoken For over 20 years, National Foster Care Month has been recognized as a time to raise awareness about the challenges that young people in foster care experience and to celebrate their resilience in the face of these obstacles. prgtoken There are over 438,000 children in foster care nationwide. In Iowa alone, over 4,000 kids entered foster care in 2016. Due to the opioid crisis, there are more children entering foster care than many child welfare agencies are equipped to handle. In 2016, over 92,000 kids entered foster care due to parental drug abuse. prgtoken I salute all of those who dedicate their time and their resources to helping these young people. This induces social workers, advocates, and alumni of the foster care system, who inform lawmakers and the public and, more importantly, who fight to secure better outcomes for these young people in care. Of course, this also includes foster parents, who open their homes and their hearts to children in need. prgtoken Without foster parents, children unable to remain with their biological parents would have nowhere to go. Unfortunately, this is becoming a reality for children across the country, as many States are experiencing a critical shortage of foster parents. In my home State of Iowa, many counties are facing a shortage of foster care homes, causing young people to be housed in shelters instead of with families. prgtoken The solution is not simply recruiting more people to serve as foster parents. Between 30 and 50 percent of licensed foster parents choose to stop being foster parents after only 1 year of doing that. That is why this year our resolution also designates the single day of May 31 as ``Foster Parent Appreciation Day.'' It is my hope that communities, child welfare agencies, and other organizations will use this day to recognize the sacrifices foster parents make. Those who do not choose to continue being foster parents often report that their reason is a lack of support and training. At a time when foster parents are needed more than ever, it is important for communities and child welfare agencies to support foster parents and ensure that they are trained to help the kids entrusted to them. prgtoken Through my work on the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, I have had the opportunity to hear firsthand what children in foster care need. I would advise Senators to take advantage of listening to that group of people we call foster youth. They need love, they need permanency, and they need stability and support. prgtoken In short, all they need is a family. They often express to me: ``I would like to have a mom and a dad.'' That is why I am pleased that Congress recently passed the Family First Prevention Services Act. This legislation works to keep more families together by allowing Federal reimbursement for services to fa
TRIBUTE TO DENIS O'HAYER
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-5-16

today I am proud to honor in the Record a dedicated Georgian who has elevated media political coverage and served as a true ambassador of the First Amendment. prgtoken It is not every day that a politician honors a journalist on the floor of the Senate, but when one who is as accomplished as Denis O'Hayer of Georgia announces his upcoming retirement, it is only right to recognize his 40 years of radio and TV work and achievements. prgtoken Denis O'Hayer will retire next month from Atlanta's National Public Radio affiliate, WABE, where he has hosted of a number of programs since he joined the station 2009. Since 2015, Denis has gotten the day started for countless Atlantans who tune in for his news updates on ``Morning Edition.'' The listenership for his program has more than doubled since he took the helm as host. His podcast, ``Political Breakfast,'' is a more recent hit and shows Denis's adaptability and one of the many reasons for his success in the field of broadcast journalism. prgtoken Denis began his work in the Atlanta media market in 1978 in radio with WGST and as a host with Public Broadcasting Atlanta after moving to the city from his radio career in Connecticut. prgtoken During his distinguished career, Denis has also worked in television as a freelance reporter with CNN and as a political reporter at Atlanta NBC affiliate WXIA-TV for 11 years. prgtoken The Atlanta Press Club, which is one of the largest and most active professional journalism associations in the country, has benefitted from Denis's leadership as president. prgtoken Denis, his distinguished WABE colleague Rose Scott, and their team earned an Edward R. Murrow award in 2012 for their television broadcast special focused on the fight against child sex trafficking in Atlanta called ``How to Stop the Candy Shop.'' prgtoken The Georgia Association of Broadcasters named Denis Broadcaster of the Year in 2014, and in 2015, he was named to the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame. prgtoken Denis is respected by colleagues across the spectrum for the quality of his work, his professionalism, and the fact that he is a consummate gentleman. My staff has always praised Denis, and we have looked for ways to work together whenever possible. prgtoken Over the years, in addition to politics both local and national, Denis and I forged a friendship and respect for each other that went beyond work, regularly sharing reports about our families and discussing our shared enjoyment of travel. prgtoken I wish Denis the very best of luck in his retirement, and I am thankful that he will continue to contribute to Georgia politics as a commentator in the future. Our political discourse will be better for it.
TRIBUTE TO SHARON JACKSON
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-5-16

I would like to say a few words about Sharon Jackson, a former member of my staff who recently left to pursue another opportunity in public service. prgtoken Sharon was part of the original team in my State offices that I hired after being sworn into the Senate in January 2015. prgtoken She served as a constituent relations representative, where her compassion and authenticity reassured constituents as she worked to resolve their issues with various Federal agencies. Being an Army veteran herself, Sharon had a unique gift of connecting with veterans and servicemembers while she helped them navigate complex government systems. The difference she made in the lives of so many people is immeasurable. prgtoken Sharon provided insight into the issues small businesses face in Alaska. Her past work with National Write Your Congressman and the National Federation of Independent Businesses put her in tune with the passions and concerns of Alaska's small businesses. prgtoken She was also a very involved community member in Anchorage and Eagle River, contributing her time and energy to a variety of organizations with the intention of building a better and brighter future for our great State. prgtoken Sharon was a true pleasure to have on the team. She loves Alaska, and that always showed in her passionate advocacy on behalf of constituents. She loves her family and is a devoted wife and mother. prgtoken We will miss Sharon and the joy she had helping Alaskans. I wish her the best in her future endeavors.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-5-16

in my hand, I hold the 2015 draft text of legislation I released with my colleagues in the House of Representatives, Congressman Fred Upton and Congressman Greg Walden. Since 2015, I have publicly and consistently been ready to work with my colleagues across the aisle on bipartisan net neutrality legislation. Specifically, my draft proposed giving Federal regulators new authority to ban blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization of legal internet content. It did this without relying on the heavyhanded use of law written to police phone monopolies, which is what we are talking about here. We are talking about a 1934 law governing the 21st-century internet. Think about that. That is precisely what this resolution would do. prgtoken I recognize that this draft legislation I came up with isn't perfect. My draft obviously did not anticipate all the concerns my colleagues raised, and of course there is always room for compromise. That is what legislative discussion and legislative negotiation are all about. But I need a partner from the other side of the aisle who shares my commitment to crafting a bipartisan solution that puts net neutrality first. prgtoken Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have certainly expressed a view about the need for legislation. Some of them come up to me privately, offline, and say: You are right. We need to do this legislatively. We need to put clear rules of the road in place. This is not the way to solve this problem. prgtoken But very few of them are willing to say that publicly. My colleague and the distinguished ranking member of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology told the publication TechCrunch only 6 months ago: ``My point of view--and by the way, I had this point of view when it was President and Tom Wheeler [at the FCC at the time], to the chagrin of my progressive friends--is that we should legislate.'' prgtoken This statement was made with knowledge and virtually on the eve of the FCC's final vote to disassemble the 2015 rule. So what changed? Why aren't we debating a bipartisan bill instead of prgtoken this partisan resolution? Some on the other side of the aisle reached the cynical conclusion that exploiting concern about the internet outweighed the value of working with s to pass net neutrality protections. For others who had a genuine desire to work with me, the forces of a highly politicized campaign to impose a -only solution can overwhelm the best of intentions. prgtoken Make no mistake--the campaign behind this Congressional Review Act resolution has been primarily driven by fearmongering hypotheticals, misdirection, and outright false claims. To make that point, this March, the Washington Post Fact Checker took Senate to task for a particularly egregious claim that failure to pass the Markey resolution would lead to a slower internet. The fact check concluded
VETERANS CEMETERY BENEFIT CORRECTION ACT
Bruce Poliquin (Republican, ME) \u2014 2018-5-16

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , this is a great day, a great week for America. Here we are celebrating not only our great veterans, who have given us our freedom and our way of life, but also our great police officers, who stand between ourselves and a more chaotic environment. We are grateful for everybody that steps up, not only our men and women in uniform who have represented us, but also our men and women in blue. prgtoken , I represent the Second Congressional District of the great State of Maine. This is the largest geographic district east of the Mississippi River. We have an 8-hour drive if you go from Fryeburg to Van Buren over beautiful country roads, all kinds of critters in the roads, including moose, so you have got to be careful when you are driving, but let me tell you, we also have 125,000 veterans in the State of Maine, more than half of which, , are in the Second District. prgtoken We love our veterans in the State of Maine. We absolutely love our veterans. We honor them, but we only have, , one veterans hospital in the State of Maine. It is in Togus, the first VA Hospital in America to take care of our veterans coming back from the Civil War. But, you know, if you live in Frenchville, Maine, or you live in Van Buren, you might have a 3-, 4-, or 5-hour drive to Togus at 2 o'clock in the morning when the snow is blowing sideways in February. prgtoken We need to make sure we give folks an opportunity--who served our country--to get healthcare closer to them. It just makes sense. prgtoken Now, a lot of people, , say, ``Well, we don't want to privatize the VA.'' Neither do I, and nobody wants to, but it makes sense to make sure we augment what they can do so our veterans can get healthcare closer prgtoken to home, and that is exactly what this program does. prgtoken Now, one thing I have to mention to you, , is that some of our rural hospitals who have contracted with the VA and provided great services to our veterans have not been getting paid on time. This is a real problem when you have got a small hospital that might not have bills paid for 1 to 2 years.