mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SUPPORTING H.R. 1375, THE PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION DIRECTLY ACT
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-12-17

. Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 1375, the Provide Accurate Information Directly (or PAID) Act which includes an important provision amending the Medicare Secondary Payer Act. That provision facilitates expanded communication between the Medicare program and insurers and self-insured entities settling liability, no- fault, and workers' compensation claims with Medicare beneficiaries who may be covered by a Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) Plan. This is important for Medicare beneficiaries, who today resolve claims around a car crash or a slip and fall, but because of the way the law works can later be sued by a Medicare Advantage Plan for repayment. It has happened before--the PAID Act will fix that problem and allow beneficiaries to sleep at night knowing that they have fully resolved their claims. prgtoken Congress amended the MSP statute in 2007 through Section 111 of the MMSEA to require parties to a dispute (known as ``Primary Plans'') to report settlements, judgments and awards to Medicare, called ``Section 111 Reports.'' That allowed Medicare to seek recovery from settling parties under the Act when Medicare paid for health care because other payment was not available or reasonably expected to be available. While that program has been successful for the Medicare fee-for-service program, where the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has the claims data for recovery, it has not been as successful for the Part C and Part D programs, where CMS does not have the Part C and Part D claims data and cannot recover for payments that have been made. To compound the problem, settling parties are often unable to identify the correct Part C or Part D plan to be able to coordinate benefits should they choose to do so. The PAID Act closes that critical information gap, by having CMS communicate the Part C and Part D plan identification to settling parties in response to a Section 111 Report. CMS has that data and can provide it. prgtoken Congress is aware that for the last eight years CMS has provided all Section 111 Reports to the Part C and Part D Plans, and Congress expects that CMS will continue to do so after this legislation is enacted. Further, the existing MSP statute and regulations impose specific requirements on CMS, and on Part C and Part D Plans, to pay for claims in some situations, to not pay for claims in other situations, and to pursue recovery of claims when appropriate. Nothing in this legislation is intended to change any of those obligations or requirements, and Congress expects Part C and Part D Plans to continue to seek recovery of claims by timely notifying settling parties when a payment has been made that should be reimbursed, consistent with the CMS notice procedures. This legislation is only intended to provide more information to the settling parties, so that they have the ability to coordinate with Part C and Part D Plans ear
WARNINGS FROM BIPARTISAN COMMISSION ON FEDERAL ELECTION REFORM
Mo Brooks (Republican, AL) \u2014 2020-12-17

this is my eighth speech in a series on voter fraud, election theft, and the Presidential election. prgtoken There are three major flaws in America's elections that socialist exploit to steal elections. prgtoken First, voting by illegal aliens and other noncitizens is rampant because socialist made it illegal to require proof of citizenship when illegal aliens and other noncitizens demand to be registered to vote. In 2020, hundreds of thousands, and more likely millions, of illegal aliens and other noncitizens legally voted for after he promised them amnesty and citizenship if he is elected President. prgtoken Second, vote-by-mail schemes are both horribly prone to voter fraud and are illegal because they violate Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution and Congress' ensuing designation, with minor exceptions, of one 24-hour day as the election day during which citizens can vote. Yet, in 2020, socialist foisted vote-by-mail schemes on America in order to more easily engage in voter fraud and election theft. prgtoken Third, the lack of photo ID requirements makes it easier for paid socialist election thieves to steal elections with voter impersonators. While socialist and the fake news media repeatedly and falsely claim there was no voter fraud in 2020, what is most startling is this: America was warned 15 years ago that this would happen. prgtoken In 2005, a bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform co- chaired by President Jimmy Carter and Reagan White House Chief of Staff James Baker issued a 105-page report specifically warning about the very same systemic flaws the socialist used in 2020 to steal elections. The commission report warns: ``Elections are the heart of democracy. If elections are defective, the entire democratic system is at risk.'' prgtoken Concerning noncitizen voting, the commission warned of a growing noncitizen voting threat, citing 784 noncitizen votes in a contested California congressional race. The commission recommended that ``all States should use their best efforts to obtain proof of citizenship before registering voters.'' prgtoken Of course, that means repealing the socialist law that makes it illegal for voter registrars to require proof of citizenship when illegal aliens and other noncitizens demand to be registered to vote. prgtoken Concerning vote-by-mail schemes, the commission warned that vote by mail is ``likely to increase the risks of fraud and of contested elections,'' adding that it remains ``the largest source of potential voter fraud'' because it is ``vulnerable to abuse in several ways. Blank ballots mailed to the wrong address or to large residential buildings might get intercepted. . . . Vote buying schemes are far more difficult to detect when citizens vote by mail.'' prgtoken The commission recommended minimizing voting by mail. prgtoken On voter ID, the commission warned t
THANKS TO THE STAFF OF GEORGIA'S SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Rob Woodall (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-12-17

I rise today to thank the men and women that I have had the pleasure of working with over these 10 years in Congress. prgtoken When you announce that you are retiring, folks need to start looking for that next opportunity. So the people who stick it out with you are a special breed. So, too, are those men and women who come and join you, knowing that their service will be short. prgtoken , there are three such people: Sean Lerner, Emily Macdonald, and Tomas Rodriguez. Knowing I was going to retire, they came and joined the fight to serve the men and women of the Seventh District of Georgia and have done an amazing job for me over the past year. prgtoken Catherine Morvis, a name long known in Georgia circles, having served with Congressman Phil Gingrey, came back to the Hill to help keep things together for me and move us across the finish line. She is still serving even today. prgtoken , I have longtime staffers--Lauren Williams, Nicholas Scoufaras, Vesna Kurspahic, Naomi Pillsbury--men and women who have been doing extraordinary work, always under difficult circumstances, recently under incredibly difficult circumstances. prgtoken , I have got staffers who have been with me a decade or more, who have recently departed: Alex Poirot, Kelley Kurtz, Janet Rossi, and Elena Gabrysh. prgtoken Elena and I started working together in 1999, serving the people of Georgia. Now, more than 20 years later, she has gone into retirement, having served literally thousands of constituents. prgtoken , I want to call particular attention to two public servants that I have been incredibly honored to be able to know in my life: My State director, Debra Poirot; and my chief of staff, Derick Corbett. prgtoken , if you have not had an opportunity to meet Debra Poirot, she brightens up every room that she walks into with a genuine love for this country and a love for her community. She lives in Forsyth County, though she grew up as an Air Force child, calls Texas home from that time, but has claimed Georgia. prgtoken So committed is she, , I remember a World War II veteran, a widow, and she was losing her housing. Debra woke up on a Saturday morning and read about it in the newspaper. She spent the next week finding this family and spent the week after that solving that problem. prgtoken She made a difference in that life that can never be measured and did it not because a constituent called, not because someone knocked on the door, but simply because she lives a life of looking for opportunities to make other people's lives better. prgtoken She finds herself out in the community each and every day, not just serving us but fulfilling a true heartfelt mission to see what she can do that others could not. An amazing woman, an amazing mother, and certainly an amazing public servant, and I thank her for that. prgtoken Derick Corbett, , I had the pleasure of hiring him back in the year 2000. I didn't think he was going to amount to much
PEACE CORPS COMMEMORATIVE WORK EXTENSION ACT
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-12-17

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , H.R. 7460, the Peace Corps Commemorative Work Extension Act, extends through January 24, 2028, the authority of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor and commemorate the mission and ideals of the Peace Corps. prgtoken Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, over 235,000 Americans have served as grassroots volunteers in villages and towns in 141 countries worldwide. Peace Corps volunteers seek to promote world peace and friendship by improving the lives of those they serve by helping others understand American culture and by bringing their experience back home to America. prgtoken It is fitting that this bill to extend the Commemorative Works Act authorization for a Peace Corps Memorial is sponsored by President John F. Kennedy's grandnephew, Representative Joe Kennedy III. prgtoken I am grateful to the thousands of Americans who have served our Nation honorably in the Peace Corps. prgtoken Madam , I urge adoption of the measure, and .
EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR ESTHER PAGE
Denver Riggleman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-12-17

. Madam , I rise today to offer my gratitude and appreciation for Esther Page, my constituent services director. prgtoken Known as the Constituent Whisperer and Queen of Casework, Esther is retiring this January after 31 years of service. prgtoken She truly is the model of what a nonpartisan public servant should be, having shown the same care and devotion for Virginia's Fifth District even as the seat swapped back and forth between parties. prgtoken I will read a comment from one of my constituents who benefited from Ms. Page's service: ``I felt from her very first contact that she was committed to advocating for me and my best interests. Without Ms. Page, I truly believe that I would still be waiting, my case file deeply buried on someone's desk.'' prgtoken Her devout faith was an example to me and all constituents she helped. She will be retiring to her home in Nelson County this January, and I wish her a long and fulfilling retirement. prgtoken Esther, I think I speak for all the Fifth District in offering my deepest appreciation for the service you have done. prgtoken This is not in the speech but know that we all love you.
CORONAVIRUS
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-12-17

I am here on the floor today to talk again about the need for us to pass a legislative package, which I would call an emergency package, to deal with our COVID-19 crisis we have in this country. prgtoken As we talk today on the floor of the Senate, there are negotiators working busily in a room nearby to try to come up with that package, and that is a good thing. I know they have run into some roadblocks, at least so I have been told. We need to work through those roadblocks. They are relatively small compared to the importance of the overall mission of helping the people we represent, helping those small businesses, helping those hospitals, helping those families who find themselves without a paycheck through no fault of their own. And my hope is that we can get there. prgtoken The legislation that is being looked at today, which may be part of a larger package that we will vote on either tomorrow or the next day, is, as I understand it, informed by work that a bipartisan group of us did over the past several weeks. I appreciate my colleagues so much. I see Senator Murkowski is here on the floor today. She was one of those people. Senator Manchin was one of the people to help organize it. In fact, I think the first meeting was because Lisa Murkowski invited people to have pizza at her place. And that resulted in a very positive interaction between and s on a lot of detail, a lot of specific issues, to be able to put together a package that will help our country right now to work through this crisis. prgtoken I wish I could say that things are better. But when I look at my own home State of Ohio, I see just the opposite. In fact, over the past few weeks, we have had weekly cases that have increased, not decreased. Our number of daily new cases is averaging around 10,000 a day now every day. That is double what it was just a month ago. At least in my State, the coronavirus crisis has increased, not decreased. prgtoken By the same token, the economic crisis that is a result of the COVID- 19 crisis has continued to grow. We have seen people who have lost their jobs because their restaurant doesn't have any business, not because there is a government edict; although, there are in some States. Some States have said you have to shut down. Some States have gone so far as to say you have to shut down outdoor dining, not just indoor dining. Of course, those people have lost their jobs. prgtoken In many cases, it is just because the virus is so prevalent, people aren't prgtoken going out; they aren't going shopping; they aren't going to the movie theater; they aren't going to the bowling alley; they aren't going to the restaurant; and they aren't going to the hotels. Folks are losing their jobs. Again, not because of something they did or something they could control. It is almost like a natural disaster, and, therefore, they need some help and need it now. prgtoken We really have kind o
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING ACT OF 2020
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2020-12-17

before joining with my colleagues in an important colloquy, concerning the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, I want to applaud Senator Grassley's tireless efforts that spanned years of bipartisan work to establish the first whistleblower reward program at the Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. prgtoken Mr. Grassley I would like to thank Chairman Crapo and Ranking Member Brown for their work on the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 division contained in this year's NDAA conference report, including the important new whistleblower protections provided in the measure. These whistleblower protections that all three of us agreed upon, were modelled after successful programs that were created through the Dodd Frank Act for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity's and Exchange Commission. One key feature that makes these programs successful is that whistleblowers are guaranteed a minimum of 10 percent in awards for qualifying disclosures. These rewards cost taxpayers nothing because they are paid from fines and other monies collected as a result of the whistleblower's disclosures. To ensure whistleblowers always receive the money owed, both the SEC and CFTC, as well our original amendment to the NDAA, created a special fund that would be filled by the fines collected and then used to pay whistleblower awards. With that, I will be happy to begin the colloquy. prgtoken Chairman Crapo, can you please describe your intent with respect to changes made in the whistleblower provisions in the conference agreement?
TRIBUTE TO BRIAN HUGHES
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-12-17

speaking of moving, I wanted to take a few minutes on the floor this afternoon to recognize a couple of individuals who are moving on. prgtoken We have heard some floor speeches in these past several weeks from colleagues who have been with us, some for decades, like Senator Alexander, Senator Enzi, and some who were with us for not quite as long, Senator Jones. We have had an opportunity to hear from them and to share our thanks, but I think we all know that as Members of Congress, Members here in the Senate, we are as good as our staffs--the staff who help guide us, who help give us the information, who work with us as we not only help to build policy but just kind of probe and develop and encourage us. The work that our teams do for us is considerable, and it is appreciated, and we need to show that thanks and appreciation. prgtoken I want to talk about two gentlemen today, and I want to start first with a longtime friend and a longtime member of the Senate, a gentleman who has provided absolutely outstanding service to the Senate and to the State of Alaska, and that is Brian Hughes, an Alaskan who has worked tirelessly for our State. He has served as my staff director on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for the past several years. prgtoken Brian has been here a long time. In my view, he has been kind of a fixture on energy issues, and many of you know him. prgtoken But Brian is going to be leaving on a well-deserved sabbatical when this Congress adjourns. He says he is going to spend some time with his sister and brother-in-law. They have 4-year-old twins out in California, and I know he dotes on them. prgtoken I am excited for his next steps. He is going to figure out where he is going to be going next, taking a breather right now, which is important. But Brian is one of those types of individuals who are very humble. He is always giving the credit to others. I did not want Brian's Senate service to conclude without giving it and Brian himself the recognition that he has assiduously avoided for years. prgtoken Brian first came to the Senate during his college years at Washington State. His previous summer jobs were working up on Alaska's North Slope and on commercial fishing boats. prgtoken In 2004, he qualified for Senator Ted Stevens' intern program. I am very familiar with Senator Ted's intern program because I, too, was an intern for Ted Stevens. Brian was pretty much a standout, though. He was there not only once, but he participated in two successful intern summers. Even before he finished his studies in finance, Senator Stevens said: Why don't you just come back? And Brian, in his characteristic generosity, skipped the fun of his final semester and returned instead to Washington, DC, to work full time here in the Senate while finishing his degree remotely. It was true to form for Brian because he is an extraordinarily hard worker. prgtoken It wasn't only the Alaskans, though
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-12-17

I am encouraged that we are making progress on coronavirus relief legislation, but we need to finish up and get this bill out the door. The virus is surging around the country, and we need to get help to struggling Americans as soon as possible. The time for debate is over. Let's get this done. prgtoken We started this week out with a tremendously hopeful moment in our COVID fight--the first vaccinations against this virus. It is incredible that barely a year since we first learned about the virus, we have a vaccine, with more vaccines likely on the way. I have been thinking a lot this week about the people who volunteered for vaccine trials. prgtoken We have gained a new appreciation this year for a lot of people whose work we might have taken for granted in the past--the farmers and grocery store workers and truckdrivers who kept food on our grocery store shelves; the delivery drivers, whom we have relied on so heavily this year, who have brought our packages to us so we can minimize our time at the store; all the workers whose jobs can't be done from home-- from electrical workers, to trashmen, to pharmacists--who get up every day and put on their masks and go out and keep our country running; and, of course, our Nation's medical professionals, who have faced down this virus with courage and determination and with great compassion. prgtoken There have been a lot of quiet heroes this year, and the people who volunteered for vaccine trials should be high on that list. A lot of courageous people stepped forward when we needed them, and we would not have a COVID vaccine today without their willingness to help. prgtoken Monday was the beginning of what will hopefully be a decisive victory in our COVID battle. We owe that to the hard work and persistence of medical researchers, but we owe it also to the vaccine trial volunteers, who enabled researchers to complete the process of developing a safe and effective vaccine. prgtoken It is no exaggeration to say that the bravery of vaccine volunteers could end up saving hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives. I doubt we will ever know most of the volunteers' names, but they are heroes of this battle just the same, and I am very grateful for the opportunity they have given us to defeat this virus.