mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBAL SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS ACT OF 2018
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-7-24

I will do this really quickly. prgtoken Being from Arizona, where I have, functionally, 23 Tribes, 21 or 22 reservations, it is surprising how often this becomes a subject and trying to understand how big and complex many of our Tribal communities are. We think our lives are sometimes complex. Imagine having to operate in the world of multiple layers, where you have to deal with State and local, Federal, and then Tribal politics, issues, and those things. prgtoken I was visiting some of my friends on a Tribal community called Ak- Chin. It was interesting. One of the gentleman there basically said: I am on council. I can't participate in Social Security. But before I was on council, I managed one of the Tribal operations, and there I could participate in Social Security. prgtoken I know this is sort of a glitch, but this is one of those honorable things where we step up and we create some optionality. Within that optionality, I think we respect Tribal sovereignty, and we are just doing the right thing here.
THE FIGHT TO SAVE AMERICA'S PATENT SYSTEM
Dana Rohrabacher (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-7-24

first and foremost, before I get into the subject that I will be discussing today, let me just note that ``American made'' is only important if there are Americans actually in the jobs. prgtoken Who is the friend and who is the enemy of American workers today? Certainly the party that is permitting massive flow of illegal immigrants into our country in order to take the jobs that are being created is not a friend of the American working people. prgtoken Let us take a look at why Americans have prospered. We have prospered because, yes, we have technology and we have jobs. But it is also because we have not permitted this massive immigration that now seems to be flowing across and has been for the last 10 and 20 years. prgtoken If we have industries that are going to succeed and jobs that are going to be created, we must first control our borders so that all of the jobs that we hear about being created are given to Americans, not to people who come here illegally. prgtoken It is unfortunate that that part of the debate in how illegal immigration has been bringing down the quality of life, taking jobs away from Americans, that that has not been part of the debate that we have heard over the media. prgtoken In fact, last week, we had an example where the ic party members here were unable to support a bill on the floor commending those brave souls who are defending our border and trying to stem the flow--the massive flow of illegal immigration into our country. They couldn't get themselves to back that. prgtoken Now, I went to an ICE facility, which is the group in our government that actually runs the facilities and helps us control this massive flow into our country, and the people there, yes, there were over 300 being held, and they were going to be returned. They were doing a good job for us. prgtoken And the fact is, in California, the ic party has gone so far overboard, they won't even permit local law enforcement--they have actually outlawed--they call it the sanctuary State law--they won't even let local governments permit them to use their own law enforcement to cooperate with Federal authorities in order to deal with illegal alien criminals. prgtoken Now, something is wrong here. We can hear all this talk about attacking s as if all the tax money that was saved in this tax bill went to rich people. No, that is not the case. And what is also not the case is that the very jobs that are being created by such programs are going to foreigners who are here illegally, unless we do something about it. prgtoken So with that said, I would like to get into the issue that I really would like to--that I was intending to discuss today, and it has everything to do also with American prosperity. American prosperity didn't just happen. So I call this the Fight to Save America's Patent System. prgtoken We Americans are blessed to be part of a Nation where average people who live right and work har
AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER PAYMENT TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2018
Devin Nunes (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-7-24

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , ambulatory surgery centers provide patients with high- quality, same-day surgical and preventive care. H.R. 6138, the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Transparency Act of 2018, makes two simple and straightforward ASC reforms. prgtoken The bill adds an ASC representative to the advisory panel on hospital outpatient payment, which will allow ASCs proper representation and a seat at the table for future CMS payment policy changes. This bill also requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to disclose their criteria for inclusion or exclusion of procedures on the ASC approved list. prgtoken Currently, CMS does not fully provide explanations for their decisions, leading to a lack of transparency in the process. These simple changes will continue to protect patient access to cost- effective and high-quality services performed in the ASC setting. prgtoken I hope that this legislation marks the first of many steps in further bolstering ASC and patient access to these high-quality facilities. prgtoken I thank Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Neal, and the Ways and Means staff for working to provide transparency in this space. I also thank Mr. Larson for his work and partnership on this important bill. prgtoken , I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and . Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 13, 2018. Hon. Greg Walden, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding H.R. 6138, the ``Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) Payment Transparency Act of 2018'' the Committee on Ways and Means ordered favorably reported which was also referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive formal consideration of the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor. I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the bill, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate conference involving this legislation. I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional Record during consideration of this legislation on the House floor. Sincerely, Kevin Brady, Chairman.
IMPROVING SENIORS ACCESS TO QUALITY BENEFITS ACT
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-7-24

the balance of my time. prgtoken , it is estimated that the ACA's benchmark cap negatively impacts more than 40 percent of counties across our country. The Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act will require the Secretary to fully evaluate the impact of including quality bonus payments under the benchmark cap on our seniors residing in these counties. prgtoken This bill was brought through the committee process in a bipartisan fashion. Now on the floor, I strongly recommend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of H.R. 4952 to ensure seniors are not missing out on additional healthcare benefits or reduced cost sharing as a result of the ACA's benchmark cap. prgtoken , .
THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2018-7-24

I rise today with deep hesitation in supporting another clean extension of the National Flood Insurance Program through November of this year. While I completely agree that letting this program lapse in the middle of hurricane season is deeply problematic, it is inconceivable to me that even extremely modest reforms to this troubled program are not included in this legislation. prgtoken The House amendment to S. 1182 is a simple piece of legislation with a simple extension. What is notable, however, is the fact that the legislation contains none of the reforms passed by this House in a bipartisan manner in November, nor does the legislation contain any of the more modest reforms recently introduced by my colleagues from California and Oregon, Representatives Royce and Blumenauer. prgtoken , as the gentleman from Missouri said, this will be extension number 7 in less than a year. This is even after Congress forgave that $16 billion in NFIP debt, all while fewer than 2 percent of the 5 million policies that are out there have absorbed more than $8 billion in payments. prgtoken These numbers are staggering. Instead of passing clean extension after clean extension, the Senate should--no, wait a minute--the Senate must do its job and take up bipartisan reform that we passed in November. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to be responsible and work toward crafting a long-term reauthorization of this, a program that needs to shift towards risk-based rates, increasing private sector involvement in the program, and to address repetitive loss properties, all of which will put the program on a more sustainable financial path. prgtoken I grew up in a floodplain in Michigan right along Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. This is real for those of us in west Michigan. But at the end of the day, with this legislation, a ``no'' vote is not a lack of willingness or interest to address this issue, as it may be portrayed; but, equally, a ``yes'' vote should not be acceptance of the status quo. Hopefully, by this bill moving forward, there may be action in the Senate. prgtoken Frankly, at the end of the day, Members are being put in an impossible no-win situation; not for us, , but for our constituents, the taxpayers, it is a no-win situation.
NAVY SEAL CHIEF PETTY OFFICER WILLIAM ``BILL'' MULDER (RET.) TRANSITION IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2018
Brad R. Wenstrup (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-7-24

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5649. prgtoken As a member of the Army Reserve who served in Iraq, I know how difficult the transition to civilian life can be after service for so many of our servicemembers. I still remember the eerie feeling of the quiet and serenity of home life after returning from the battlefield. prgtoken For those servicemembers who don't have a clear cut path upon their return to civilian life, there is often a struggle for what I like to refer to as post-necessary stress. prgtoken When you go from being completely necessary, part of a team, part of something big, and you come home and you don't have that same feeling, it takes its toll on you. It is hard for many servicemembers to actually settle back into civilian life when they get back. This is what this is about. prgtoken We can combat this problem by encouraging servicemembers to focus on transition earlier. Even when they first join the armed services, imagine if you were being recruited and you are talking to a recruiter about what you plan to do when you enter the military, and if they also said to you, and what do you plan to do afterwards? If we were plotting a course for your life when in uniform and after. prgtoken So this gives us a chance to modernize our curriculum for those going through the Transition Assistance Program to ensure that the information they have is timely and specific to the servicemember. prgtoken I think this legislation is an important first step to better equip servicemembers with the skills needed to successfully transition into civilian life. prgtoken I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. I want to thank the committee, all the members on the committee, and the staff, for pushing this along and doing such a great job of that.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-7-24

reserving the right to object, what we have here is another distraction from what we in this body need to be focused on today; that is, funding the Federal Government and confirming this President's nominees. prgtoken Right now, we have just 23 working days, as a result of the way the Senate operates, between now and the end of the fiscal year--just 23 days. Meanwhile, we have 329 nominees. These are Presidential nominees waiting for this body to confirm them. We need to stay on track. prgtoken This resolution is no more than political theater. This resolution was previously objected to by Senator Cornyn just last week. It will continue to be objected to again because it is unnecessary. prgtoken The Senate, the House of Representatives, and our intelligence community have all thoroughly investigated this matter. In fact, the Senate Intelligence Committee has held 16 open hearings, dating back to January of 2017. They all found that Russia did, in fact, attempt to interfere in the U.S. election. We all take that very seriously. prgtoken However, let's be crystal clear. They also found there is no evidence this interference impacted the outcome of the Presidential election in 2016 at all. prgtoken This President and this body have consistently been tough on Russia. I have personally cosponsored strong sanctions on Russia and introduced legislation condemning Russian military aggression around the world. We are currently debating additional economic sanctions to hold Russia further accountable, and we will continue to do so as long as their nefarious activities continue. prgtoken What we don't need are more political distractions, and that is all this is. Therefore, I object.
THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Brian Babin (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-7-24

I represent a working coastal community. Our communities in Texas District 36 were hit very, very hard by Hurricane Harvey, and our Nation's energy security relies on those communities. prgtoken Coastal energy and petrochemical refining facilities like the 150 that I represent cannot function without a steady and reliable workforce, and that workforce cannot exist without a stable housing market. prgtoken I am hopeful that my House colleagues will have the wisdom to see the necessity of passing S. 1182, so that we can maintain this national security issue.
THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Sean P. Duffy (Republican, WI) \u2014 2018-7-24

I thank the chairman for yielding. This is a rich conversation. I am hearing my colleagues saying: We are almost out of time. We have to reauthorize the program. We can't let it expire. prgtoken The truth is, we have known for months that this program was going to expire. We have known. And many of us have tried to go to those who have disagreed on any kind of flood reform to craft a deal, to craft a compromise, but, lo and behold, there was no willingness to come together and find a compromise on flood reform. prgtoken It was: No, no. We want to come to the very end and pretend like it is a crisis and we have to extend the program because we can't put people in harm's way. prgtoken By the way, this program puts people in harm's way. We know that people don't want to flood, just like people don't want to get in a car crash and they don't want their house to burn. But if 2 times, 4 times, 10 times someone's house burns, we might say: Hey, we have got a problem with that. Maybe we should look at where you are living. prgtoken If someone gets in a car crash 2 times, 5 times, 10 times, 15 times, we might say: Hey, you have got a problem, maybe, with your driving. prgtoken But with flood insurance, we say: Listen, you can flood 1 time, 5 times, 10 times--and guess what? You can flood 10 times, 15 times, and your premiums don't go up at all. You are grandfathered in. prgtoken When my daughter crashed our car twice, guess what happened to my premiums? They went through the roof. But with flood insurance, your premiums don't go up. prgtoken Let's fix this program. There are commonsense reforms that we can implement. We are not asking for the bill that I introduced last year. We have said: Hey, maybe we can look at the severe repetitive loss properties, the ones that are only 3 percent of those in the NFIP but account for 25 percent of the losses. Maybe we could address those properties. prgtoken Maybe we could find some little bit of reform that could make the program work better. It is $20.5 billion in debt, and we already forgave $16 billion in debt. It is under water, to use a pun. prgtoken Let's work on fixing it. Let's help people get out of harm's way. Reform does that, . Let's get it done.
REMEMBERING MORT PLUMB
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-7-24

the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is buzzing with activity all year long. It connects our military posted in Alaska with their families in the Lower 48, welcomes business visitors from around the world, and takes Alaskans to the Lower 48 for a weekend of cheering the Seahawks in Seattle, a shopping trip, or simply a break from the Alaskan winter. prgtoken The Anchorage airport is the truly a crossroads for our friends in rural Alaska coming and going from meetings and medical appointments in Anchorage. Its gates are places where Alaskans congregate--catching up with old friends or connecting with State legislators and an occasional U.S. Senator. prgtoken Look to the left as your plane pulls into the gate, and you see cargo planes from around the world. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is our State's premier transportation hub, a cargo hub of global renown. prgtoken For most of my adult life, the Anchorage airport was a pretty utilitarian place. The walls were tan, the gate and baggage claim signs had white lettering on a blue background. If you were picking up a rental car, you rolled your bag through the snow because most were parked outside. The return lot was outside too. But it worked. It was a place to come and go, not a place to linger. prgtoken Mort Plumb had another vision. He foresaw the boom in tourism that would come to Alaska and believed that our State needed a gateway airport as beautiful and inspiring as the State itself. Mort was the father of today's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. A showplace for Native arts and crafts with huge picture windows and vistas of the Chugach mountain range that cause our visitors to wonder whether they really want to leave this unique place, a portal to the Great Land. prgtoken Mort's vision has paid off; 2018 could be a record year for tourism in Alaska, and seat capacity on out-of-state flights this year is up 5.6 percent. That translates into the opportunity for an additional 43,000 visitors to enjoy what Alaska has to offer. prgtoken Sadly, in February, Mort passed away at the age of 74. Born in Pennsylvania, he came to Alaska like many of our finest do: in the service of our country. He served 27 years in the Air Force, and we are indeed grateful that the Air Force chose to send Mort and his family to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. As a colonel, Mort served as director of operations for the Alaskan Command, chief of staff for the 11th Air Force, and vice commander for the 11th Air Force. He retired from the Air Force in 1994. prgtoken Mort's retirement didn't last long, as he was quickly recruited by Governor Tony Knowles to direct the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. He took that job in 1995 and remained until 2008. All told, he served under three Governors: Knowles and s Frank Murkowski and Sarah Palin. Mort Plumb served with great distinction. prgtoken After retiri
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-7-24

I want to talk for a second about an amendment I have to the minibus appropriations package. prgtoken I am going to talk very briefly about the amendment, but, first, I want to respond to some of the comments of my friend the Senator from Illinois, for whom I have great respect. I just disagree with him on this subject of the Affordable Care Act, and I want to respond briefly. prgtoken Let me tell you what s believe, at least most s whom I know. Most s I know believe what Americans believe, and that is that in our country, if you are hungry, we feed you. If you are homeless, we house you. If you are too poor to be sick, we will pay for your doctor. We in America, s and , put our money where our mouth is. We spend $1 trillion a year helping people who are less fortunate than we are, and that separates our country from every other country in the world. prgtoken Frankly, that is why so many of our neighbors across this great planet want to come to America. It is because we care about other people. I mean, when is the last time you heard of anybody trying to sneak into China or Russia? That is why they want to come to America. prgtoken But when a government program, though well intended, isn't working, we owe it to the American taxpayer to explain to them why, and the Affordable Care Act has not worked. I wish it had. prgtoken I had the highest hopes. I remember when the Senate debated it. Call me a nerd, but I watched it on C-SPAN. I wanted it to work. We were promised: Look, as a result of this act, we are going to make health insurance accessible, and we are going to make it affordable. prgtoken I said: Man, I will take a dozen of those. We have been trying to do that for 50 years around here. Maybe this time we will get it right. prgtoken It was offered with the best of intentions. You will never hear me criticize prgtoken President for an act of patriotism. He was very well intended. He wanted it to work. It wasn't a question of bad motives. It was just a bad idea. prgtoken You know, 150 years ago, doctors used to bleed their patients with the best of intentions, but they stopped doing it because it was a bad idea. prgtoken Now, we can do better. I agree with the objectives from the Senator of Illinois. Let me say it again that I have great respect for him, but the American people deserve a health insurance program that looks like somebody designed it on purpose, and that is not the Affordable Care Act. I wish it were, but it is not. We can do better. Amendment No. 3430 prgtoken , let me hit a lick about my amendment to the minibus appropriation package, H.R. 6147. prgtoken Here is the problem. We have a lot of foreign seafood imported into the United States, and some of it is very dangerous. I am afraid to say that a lot of it is very dangerous. I am unhappy to say that. prgtoken Our FDA is in charge of making