mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-3-8

I thank Ranking Member Visclosky very much. prgtoken , every year, our top responsibility as appropriators is to finish the 12 spending bills that keep our government running by October 1 of the year before that fiscal year is supposed to start. But here we are today, March 8, halfway into fiscal year 2017, finally voting on a compromise bill that closely reflects the request the last administration delivered to us 1 year ago February. prgtoken Our service chiefs and Secretaries present a consistent, clear message to Congress. They have pleaded for stability and predictability in the budget so they could ensure complete readiness of America's forces. Force readiness remains the defense community's top priority. Funding the capabilities to provide this responsibility must remain our top priority. We must approach Congress' appropriations responsibility from the historic bipartisan process that has broken down once too many times in recent years. prgtoken This political infighting harms the stability and predictability necessary for our Armed Forces to properly plan. It left both our adversaries and allies questioning our ability to defend or support the multiple conflicts we are currently engaged with abroad. prgtoken This compromise worked out by our responsible colleagues, Chairwoman Granger, Chairman Frelinghuysen, Ranking Member Visclosky, Ranking Member Lowey; and their Senate counterparts are strong glimmers of hope that we might actually finish the 2017 appropriations responsibilities. But we have ten additional subcommittee bills that are equally important and account for nearly half of our budget. prgtoken When will we vote on those compromised bills? prgtoken I could think of little that would be more irresponsible than to only move this defense bill and leave the remaining departments and agencies operating under a continuing resolution. prgtoken I have always supported our troops and our national defense. However, we know the safety and well-being of the American people does not merely rely on defense funding. It is rooted in the stability of the Republic they are sworn to protect and defend. We have a responsibility there, equally important. prgtoken Our financial commitments to energy independence, critical infrastructure, homeland security, funding for first responders, teachers, and healthcare programs are equally necessary to increase America's security at home and abroad. I hope my colleagues alleviate this concern and quickly package the remaining bills for a vote, as the American people so richly deserve.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-3-8

I rise again today to share the story of this beautiful young lady, Jessie Grubb. She is a West Virginian who passed away a year ago last week, and she was only 30 years old. She was a bright young lady with a great future ahead of her. prgtoken After years of struggling with heroin addiction, she had been doing very well. She had been sober since August of 2015. She had surgery for an infection related to a running injury and died a day after leaving the hospital. prgtoken Her story of addiction is known to many. We have told it many times here. Her father David, a former West Virginia State legislator who served with me, a friend of mine, shared their family struggle with addiction when President traveled to West Virginia to bring attention to the growing opiate epidemic that we are all encountering in all of our States. prgtoken West Virginia has been hit the hardest by the opioid epidemic, where drug overdose deaths soared by more than 700 percent from 1999 to 2013. More than 600 lives were lost last year--just last year alone--to prescription drug overdose, legal prescription drugs. prgtoken Jessie's story and her family's pain are all too common in West Virginia and throughout this Nation. As I said, we lost 627 West Virginians to opiates last year alone. prgtoken When you think about it, this is a pill, this is a product that is manufactured by some of the most regarded institutions, pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country. It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which basically says what we can use and what we should consume should be safe for us. prgtoken It is then prescribed by the most trusted person who is not in our family--and next to our family is a doctor. You would think that this is something that should be helpful for us, that should be part of the healing process. Instead, it has been part of the killing process. It has no home. It is a silent killer. We kept our mouths shut; we didn't say anything for many years, and now we have an epidemic on our hands, which we are trying to control. prgtoken We had 61,000 West Virginians who used prescription pain medications for nonmedical purposes in 2014. This includes 6,000 teenagers. As I have said, our State is not unique. The Presiding Officer's wonderful State of North Carolina is facing the same challenges we are. prgtoken Every day in our country, 91 Americans die from a prescription opiate or heroin overdose. Since 1999, we have lost almost 200,000 Americans to prescription opioid abuse. prgtoken Jessie's story deeply impacted President , and I spoke with him about her death and the pain her family is going through. He reached out to David and Kate and the entire Grubb family. It is horrific. prgtoken When President came to Charleston, Jessie was in a rehab facility in Michigan for the fourth time. Before her life was taken over by addiction in 2009, Jessie's future was bright. She was the belo
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-3-8

it seems appropriate that we are debating the nomination of Seema Verma to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services the same week s in Congress introduce a plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Over the past 8 years, President and the ic Party have been fighting to make sure that everyone in this country has access to affordable, quality health insurance. President and his allies in Congress do not share this commitment. Instead of debating how best to expand access, they are fighting with each other to see just how many people they can kick off insurance rolls--all in a crusade, apparently, to save some people money. prgtoken This is not a crusade to improve the lives of as many Americans as possible. It is a crusade to serve their radical antigovernment ideology. In fact, ``ideology over people'' is a useful shorthand to describe the first 2 months of the administration. prgtoken The problem with their ideological debates is that people are left out of the debate. Do we really know what it is like to be without health insurance? Under the plan to repeal the ACA, 20 million people in our country will be without health insurance, without healthcare. What if you were one of those people? prgtoken This question is not an academic one for me. I know what it is like to live without health insurance. When my mom brought my brothers and me to this country--I am an immigrant--her job did not provide health benefits. My greatest fear growing up as a little girl in this country was that my mom would not be able to go to work if she got sick. If she wasn't able to go to work, where would money for food and rent come from? prgtoken That is not the kind of fear we want to impose on millions of children in our country, but we will be doing just that to the 20 million people and their families who gained health insurance under the Affordable Care Act--many, for the first time in their lives. They did not have to be worried every single day that their child or their parents would be sick and would not be able to afford the care that they needed. This is not an academic exercise for any of them. They will be hurt by what we are being asked to do. It is not an academic exercise for the millions more who will lose their insurance coverage under Care. prgtoken But no one should be surprised. This administration and their allies in Congress continue to demonstrate a commitment to alternative facts. If you believe their alternative facts, Care would improve healthcare access for working families, seniors and women, and Americans would have, as the President said, ``much better healthcare for much less money.'' prgtoken But in reality, Care will do the opposite. Care would end by 2020 the ACA's Medicaid expansion that millions of people in our country depend on every day. The expansion not prgtoken only provided health coverage to millions
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2017-3-8

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I would like to begin by congratulating Chairman Frelinghuysen on bringing his first full bill to the House floor as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. I have greatly appreciated his friendship and steady leadership of the Defense Subcommittee. prgtoken Further, I also thank our new subcommittee chairwoman, Kay Granger. She has been a great partner in completing the work on the fiscal year 2017 conference report, and I look forward to working with her as we proceed. prgtoken Finally, I thank the members of the subcommittee and our extraordinary staff for their wisdom and for their long hours that they have logged in putting this product together. prgtoken The chairman has well described H.R. 1301. I would add that this bill includes strong positions countering Russian aggression, building partnership capacity, and supporting readiness. Because it is a product of bipartisan negotiation, this is a good bill, and I intend to support it. prgtoken Despite my support for this legislation, I am extremely troubled that we are still working on the fiscal year 2017 Defense bill 5 months and 8 days into the fiscal year. prgtoken For nearly 6 months, the Department of Defense has been operating under two separate continuing resolutions, which wastes the time of people's lives and leads to inefficiencies in spending. I would emphasize this is not the fault of the committee. All that has been absent is the lack of political will on behalf of the majority party. prgtoken Even more disconcerting is the fact that the Defense Appropriations Act is just one of 11 fiscal year 2017 appropriations bills that need to be completed by the end of next month. There is no excuse for them remaining unfinished. The investments made through these bills are vital to so many in our country, and they need equal attention from Congress and the administration. prgtoken It is imperative that we strive every day to prioritize keeping America safe and supporting our brave servicemembers, but we must also prioritize educating our workforce, making improvements in public health, in science, and in our economic and transportation infrastructure. prgtoken If we neglect these investments in our future and in the well-being and success of current families and future generations, then I am deeply concerned that we will not have a country worth defending. prgtoken Confounding a confused fiscal situation, there is a $30 billion supplemental request for fiscal year 2017 recently submitted to the Office of Management and Budget by the Department of Defense, which should make its way to Congress in the next few weeks. Additionally, as the administration modifies its fiscal year 2018 budget request, they are without a predictable base on which to build. prgtoken There is very little margin of error, given the few legislative days remaining before the continuing resolution expires on April 28. I, and I b
DEFENSE SPENDING IS IMPORTANT
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-3-8

as a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, I rise to voice my full support for the fiscal year 2017 Defense Appropriations bill. This legislation supports our Armed Forces by helping pay our troops and provide care for our men and women in uniform and their families, and it gives our military the resources necessary to combat terrorism, deter our adversaries, and support our allies. prgtoken The Defense Appropriations bill includes a 2.1 percent pay raise for our servicemen and -women, which will help our military families like those who are currently struggling in Nevada to make ends meet. prgtoken One of the most important investments proposed is increasing our military readiness, which helps strengthen our national security. The legislation fully funds troop number increases authorized and provides an additional $6.8 billion in procurement spending. This is especially important for helping modernize our Armed Forces by fulfilling unmet requirements for additional ships, weapons, and aircraft, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at Nellis Air Force Base and unmanned aerial vehicles flying counter-ISIL operations missions from Creech Air Force Base. prgtoken Finally, the NDAA helps support programs that strengthen relations with our allies. I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation.
CRA DISAPPROVAL OF BLM PLANNING 2.0 RULE
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-3-8

yesterday, the Senate approved H.J. Res. 44, a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, CRA, that overturned the Bureau of Land Management's resource management planning rule, commonly referred to as the planning 2.0 rule. I oppose this misguided revocation of a rule that would have allowed greater public involvement in the land-use planning process, increased government transparency, and improved the efficiency in making sustainable multiple use decisions for our public lands. prgtoken The BLM is responsible for administering 245 million acres, or over 10 percent of the total area of the United States, and 700 million acres, or 30 percent, of the Nation's mineral estate. The majority of BLM lands are in the 11 western States and Alaska. prgtoken Across the West, the economy has changed significantly in recent decades. From 1990 to 2010, the population in the West grew by 36 percent, and the economy of the West has grown faster than any other region in the country. As new people and new businesses have moved West, demands on public lands for outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, tourism, conservation, and renewable energy development have been increasing. These demands have the potential to lead to conflicts with uses such as grazing, timber, mining, and oil and gas extraction. prgtoken The planning 2.0 rule represented a new approach to addressing increasingly complex challenges on public lands and balancing what are competing uses and, quite frankly, at times competing values for the use of our public lands. Planning 2.0 was the first update of the BLM's planning regulations in 34 years. It included tools to help local land managers respond to these new challenges and the changing needs of western communities. prgtoken Under the BLM's 1983 planning regulations, the BLM's planning process has been far too slow. State, local, and tribal governments and the public have been frustrated with the BLM's inability to complete resource management plans that support key infrastructure projects like pipelines, utility corridors, oil and gas leasing areas, and other management designations. It takes an average of 8 years to complete a resource management plan, and the public is provided few opportunities for input. By the time a plan is completed, it is almost already out of date. Since public involvement doesn't occur until nearly the end of the planning process, new information provided near the end can require revision and cause further delay. Litigation also can stall the process and add significantly more time and costs. prgtoken Nullifying planning 2.0 through CRA disapproval permanently forces the BLM to use a planning process that wastes taxpayer money and is inefficient at best. prgtoken Planning 2.0 provided earlier and more frequent opportunities for public involvement as part of the new planning assessment step. By inviting State, local, and tribal governments and th
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1301, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-8

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I want to say to my colleagues on the other side: I know you don't like me talking about health care. If I were you, I wouldn't want to talk about health care either. This is a serious matter, and it is a matter of security for millions and millions of Americans in our country. prgtoken Again, maybe somebody over there can tell me: How much is this new Care bill going to cost? How much is it going to add to the deficit? How much are the American taxpayers going to have to pay for it? Does anyone know how many people will lose their coverage? Hello? prgtoken I guess I would ask the questions: Why do we have over 200 employees at the Congressional Budget Office, who we pay $50 million a year to be able to give us these estimates, if we are not going to utilize them? Why are we doing this? prgtoken It seems to me that before we do something that could harm millions of people in this country, before we could do something that could result in an increase in our deficit, why don't we ask the experts? And we all acknowledge that they are experts and we pay them lots of money. Why don't we get their advice? prgtoken This whole process seems backwards. You ought not to be marking up bills when you don't know what their impact is going to be. prgtoken Part of our job as Members of Congress, in addition to holding hearings and listening to experts and listening to citizens tell us their perspective--which, again, has been totally ignored in this process of the repeal of the healthcare bill--is also to make sure that when we are voting, we know what the impact is going to be, we know whether or not it is going to have a positive impact or whether it is going to have a negative impact. prgtoken Again, one of the reasons why I want to defeat the previous question is so that we can vote in a, hopefully, bipartisan way to get a CBO score so we know what is what. prgtoken I get it. I know my colleagues don't want to talk about health care. They would rather talk about something we should have done months ago. That is what we are doing now, we are doing old work now. This should have been done 4 or 5 months ago. I am just baffled why you don't want to do your job. prgtoken , .
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-8

in recent weeks, we have seen an astonishing series of revelations about Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election in support of the campaign. Last week, the Washington Post reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with the Russian Ambassador in July and September during the campaign. Yet, during his confirmation hearing, the Attorney General said under oath: ``I did not have communications with the Russians.'' prgtoken Last Thursday, the Attorney General announced he would partially recuse himself from any investigation into the Presidential campaign. I note that this was a partial recusal when it comes to investigations into Russia's influence on President and his circle of advisers and associates. The scope of the recusal is still unclear. For example, Attorney General Sessions does not even appear to believe that his own meeting with the Russian Ambassador on September 8, 2016, was related to the campaign. The scope of his recusal will need to be clarified. prgtoken We also continue to learn of previously undisclosed communications between the Russians and President 's inner circle. For example, we learned last week that Jared Kushner, President 's son-in-law and senior adviser, had met in December with the Russian Ambassador in Tower, along with the President's National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, who resigned on February 13. People across America are wondering when the next shoe will drop. prgtoken It is becoming clear that the President is desperate to change the headlines from these Russian revelations--so desperate, in fact, that in a series of tweets on Saturday morning, President claimed that President had wiretapped Tower in an act President described as ``McCarthyism'' and ``Nixon/Watergate.'' Well, President 's tweets again made news but not in the way he had hoped. It quickly became clear that President has no evidence to back up his claims. In fact, it appeared he got his information not from America's law enforcement or intelligence agencies but from rightwing talk radio. prgtoken On Sunday, the former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, denied the President's claims, and the Director of the FBI, James Comey, took an extraordinary step of calling on the Justice Department to publicly deny the President's claims. Even s like House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz and Trey Gowdy, chairman of the Select Committee on Benghazi, said they had not seen any evidence that would support what President tweeted. Nonetheless, the President's spokespeople doubled down, saying that the President does not accept the contention of the FBI Director and he stands by his tweets. prgtoken Let's be clear. President is playing games with the credibility of his Presidency. is destroying the credibility of the Office of the President 140 characters at a t
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-3-8

I am deeply troubled and disappointed that s have chosen to move forward with their plans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act rather than working in a bipartisan fashion to improve this landmark legislation. prgtoken s have had 7 years to work across the aisle to find solutions. Instead, they have chosen to ignore the ACA's success in pursuit of their single-minded focus on gutting the law. They have voted over 60 times to repeal the ACA. Could not even one of those votes have been to try to improve it if they saw these shortcomings? prgtoken , the ACA expanded healthcare access to over 100,000 Rhode Islanders and 20 million people nationwide who otherwise did not have health insurance. Unfortunately, the proposal jeopardizes the comprehensive, affordable, quality coverage Americans received under the ACA. prgtoken , the plan will lead to higher costs and less accessible coverage, and it will strain, not strengthen, our healthcare system. Their plan disproportionately harms seniors, people with disabilities, and those who rely on Medicaid. prgtoken I have long said, , that the ACA isn't perfect, but it is an important first step toward fulfilling our Nation's promise of compassion and opportunity because health care is a necessity. It is something that is a right, not a privilege. Unfortunately, the s' American Health Care Act will break this fundamental promise by undermining the healthcare coverage of millions.