mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ENERGY EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY ACT
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-1-10

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , the Federal Government is a major consumer of electricity, and its information technologies account for a large and growing percentage of that major use. That is why we need H.R. 306, the Energy Efficient Government Technology Act, introduced by my good friend from California (Ms. Eshoo). prgtoken This bill creates a process by which Federal agencies can incorporate the latest efficiency improvements in their information technologies, including data centers. It also sets out yardsticks to measure progress. prgtoken The result of this bill would be lower Federal energy bills and taxpayer savings. In addition, the Federal Government can set an example for energy efficiency that the private sector IT systems would be able to copy. prgtoken , .
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-1-10

last week the Senate began consideration of the Care repeal resolution, which is the first step in the process of repealing the law. It is time for repeal. prgtoken Seven years ago, Care was sold to the American people with a lot of promises. The law was going to reduce premiums for families. It was going to fix problems with our health care system without hurting anyone who was happy with their health coverage. If you like your health plan, you will be able to keep it, people all across this country were told over and over again. If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor--also a promise and claim that was made over and over again. As everyone knows, every one of these promises was broken. Premiums for families have continued to rise. Millions of Americans lost health care plans that they liked. Americans regularly discovered that they couldn't keep their doctors and that choice of replacement was often limited. prgtoken These broken promises were just the tip of the iceberg. The law hasn't just failed to live up to its promises, it is actively collapsing, and the status quo is unsustainable. Premiums on the exchanges are soaring. Deductibles regularly run into the thousands of dollars. For 2017, the average deductible for a bronze-level Care plan is rising from $5,731 to $6,092. With deductibles like that, it is no wonder that some Americans can't afford to actually use their Care insurance. prgtoken I receive a lot of mail from constituents in my State struggling to pay for their health care. One constituent contacted me to say: ``My Care premium went up from $1,080 per month to $1,775 per month,'' a 64-percent increase, $21,300 a year for health insurance. Let me just repeat that, a 64-percent increase in premiums, $21,300 a year for health insurance. That is like paying another mortgage. That is a lot more than many people pay for their mortgage, and of course that is before any deductibles or other out-of-pocket costs are considered. prgtoken Another constituent wrote to tell me, ``Today I received a new premium notice from my Care insurance. My policy rate for myself, my wife and my teenage son has increased by 357 percent.'' prgtoken The problems on the exchanges aren't limited to soaring costs, unfortunately. Insurers are pulling out of the exchanges right and left. Health care choices are rapidly dwindling. Narrow provider networks are the order of the day. One-third of American counties have just one choice of health insurer on their exchange. prgtoken This is not the health care reform the American people were looking for. prgtoken So it is no surprise that a recent Gallup poll found that 80 percent of Americans want major changes to Care or want the law entirely repealed and replaced or that 74 percent of American voters ranked health care as a very important voting issue for them in the 2016 elections. Care has not fixed ou
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-1-10

I would like to congratulate my colleague from South Dakota for his comments. I am hearing the same thing in Wyoming that he has been hearing about the Care health care law and the impact on people in his State. I am hearing the same thing. I heard it this past weekend in Wyoming talking to people about what impact Care has had on their lives. prgtoken It is very interesting because people all around the State of Wyoming are talking about the fact that their costs have gone up and choices have gone down. Many who had insurance that worked for them lost that insurance all related to a law passed in the House and the Senate and signed into law by President . prgtoken Tonight, in Chicago, President is going to give a farewell address. I am assuming he will talk about Care, and I am assuming he paints a very different picture than the American people have seen and are living with. The President is using scare tactics about what s plan to do. No matter what President wants, the American people have spoken. They have voted, and 8 out of 10 people say that what this costly and complicated health care law has done to them, they would like to see it either significantly changed or repealed and replaced. They know better than to believe what the are continuing to tell them because they have been living with it every day. prgtoken Seven years ago, made one false claim after another when they were trying to sell this law to the American people. said: If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. They said: If you liked your health care plan, you could keep your health care plan. That one was labeled the Lie of the Year a few years ago. They said premiums for the average family would go down by $2,500. None of it was true. Now are out telling more tales about Care. All of these new stories are going to be just as false as the ones they told us all in the past. For one thing, have been saying that millions of Americans are going to lose their health insurance if we repeal the Care health care law. prgtoken In a letter just last week, Senators Schumer and Sanders said that s are planning to take health care coverage away from more than 30 million Americans. It is not going to happen. The absolutely know it is not going to happen. It doesn't stop them from saying it. prgtoken The fact is, this should never have been about health insurance in the first place. As a doctor, I will tell you this should have been about health care and patients. s are going to make sure that is where the focus is from now on. The number of people with good health insurance coverage under Care actually has been a lot less than what the are claiming. That is because lots of people who bought Care coverage only did it because the health care law forced them to give up the insuran
HONORING RICHARD NOBLE
Thomas MacArthur (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2017-1-10

I rise today to honor the memory and life of veteran Richard Noble of the Third Congressional District, and to express my sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones he has left behind, as well as to recognize his steadfast dedication and service to our nation. prgtoken Richard Noble was a Vietnam War Veteran who was on his way to a Veteran's Day Ceremony before a tragic accident claimed his life. Brave men like Richard have enabled us to prgtoken live our daily lives with the free ideals that our country was founded upon. prgtoken It is important that we continue to honor Richard and all veterans and remind ourselves of how precious our freedom is, so that we never take a day for granted. prgtoken , the people of New Jersey's Third Congressional District are tremendously honored to have had Richard Noble as a selfless and dedicated member of their community and a veteran, who put his life in harm's way to protect and serve country during a time of need. It is with a heavy heart that I commemorate his career and life, and recognize the lasting legacy of that he has left behind, before the United State House of Representatives.
SMALL BUSINESS BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACT
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2017-1-10

I want to thank the new subcommittee chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. I know our country is in good hands and our committee is as well with Mrs. Blackburn chairing that important subcommittee. I want to thank my colleague from California for his kind comments and his work over the years on these issues. I concur with him that we have a wonderful opportunity to continue our bipartisan work as the committee has been known for, for a long time. Clearly, from time to time, we will have our differences, and we know that as well. It is part of democracy. There is so much of this work, like this bill, that is so very important. prgtoken As we begin the 115th Congress, I am pleased to be here to support this bipartisan bill because I think it reflects the best of what government can do for those who sent us here. Small Business Broadband Deployment Act seeks to alleviate, as you have heard, , these unnecessary regulatory burdens on small Internet service providers--these are the small ones, oftentimes in our rural communities but not always--while still ensuring that consumers are protected. We found the right balance here. prgtoken By extending an exemption to the Federal Communications Commission's enhanced reporting rules, this bill allows these small businesses to focus on their core mission, and that is to provide broadband Internet access to customers throughout America. Over the past year, we spent a great deal of time focused on this issue. We first raised concerns with the Federal Communications Commission in a letter, , from the committee, as well as from the Committee on Small Business. We urged the chairman, Tom Wheeler, to not only make the exemption permanent but also to raise the threshold by defining a small business to bring it in line with the definitions previously blessed by the administration's Small Business Administration. We were trying to find some consistency, some workability, and some common sense here. prgtoken Well, unfortunately, the FCC only extended the exemption for 1 year, despite the overwhelming support to do this permanent extension. It was clear Congress needed to act. That is what we are doing here. I introduced a discussion draft last year that would have permanently extended the exemption and increased the threshold by defining a small business. prgtoken At our January 2016 legislative hearing on the bill, we heard from a small Internet service provider who shared the dilemma that many small ISPs face in these circumstances: Should they put up new equipment, or should they hire a lawyer to help with compliance? Should they improve service for customers, or should they devote those financial resources to sifting through regulatory language and drafting extensive reports on packet loss? prgtoken So often these small ISPs provide service to areas of the country that are rural, like in my district throughout eastern Oregon or Representa
DESHAUN WATSON, A MAN OF CHARACTER
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-1-10

last night, as we all watched football, no matter who you rooted for, team sports also still comes down to individuals. Last night, a young man named Deshaun Watson--the favorite son of Gainesville, Georgia, my hometown--showed the character that I have witnessed since he was a young boy, playing with my son in the 7- and 8-year-old little flag football league. prgtoken His athletic ability has never been questioned, and last night it was on full display for the world to see. I believe that he is the best college football player in the country. Beyond football playing, he is a better man. He is looking forward to the leadership of his team, to the leadership of his classmates, and the leadership he has shown in his community back in Gainesville is exemplary and will not be forgotten. prgtoken Gainesville is proud of its favorite son, Deshaun Watson, and of the national championship that he won last night with his team, Clemson, during the football game. But, as with everything in life, as the game ended, it reminded us that the games are played by men of character. Deshaun Watson is a man of character, and I look forward to watching his career as he goes forward.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-1-10

we are engaged in the first step to debate what is important to virtually every American. What we want to do is to find good ways to reform and replace Care and then repeal the provisions of it that have damaged so many Americans. prgtoken Before we start talking about a big subject, sometimes it helps to ask the question: Exactly what are we talking about? So, very quickly, where do Americans get our health care insurance? It might be interesting to note that 91 percent of us have some sort of health insurance--290 million. We get it from four places, basically. One is Medicare--18 percent of us with insurance. This is not a bill to change Medicare. That is a discussion for another day. So we are talking about these three areas. prgtoken One is employers, on the job. Sixty-one percent of us with insurance get it on the job--178 million people. prgtoken Medicaid, managed by States, paid for by the Federal and State governments--22 percent of covered Americans there get their insurance through Medicaid. prgtoken Then there is the individual market, people who buy it on their own. That includes the exchanges we hear so much about. Here is where all the news is; here is where the turmoil is. That is just 6 percent of everyone who is insured, although that is 18 million Americans. This is information from the U.S. Census. prgtoken Who is not insured? That is interesting too. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are 27 million people who aren't insured, but 17 million of those are eligible for some help to get insurance and just haven't taken it. Of the 11 million who are not eligible for any help, nearly half of them--5 million--are illegally here. Of the rest, some make too much money to be eligible for assistance, and some dropped through the Medicaid coverage gap. So it is fair to say that 91 percent of us are insured one way or the other. Then, of the 27 million--the 9 percent who are not insured--17 million of those are eligible for some sort of assistance. prgtoken How should we approach this? Following the Presidential election, President-Elect said on ``60 Minutes'' that replacement and repeal of Care would be done ``simultaneously.'' To me, that means at the same time. prgtoken Just today, of the House Paul Ryan said that repeal and replacement of Care would be done concurrently. To me, simultaneously and concurrently mean Care should finally be repealed only when there are concrete practical reforms in place--that give Americans access to truly affordable health care. Let me say that again: Care should be repealed, finally, only when there are concrete, practical reforms in place that give Americans access to truly affordable health care. prgtoken The American people deserve health care reform that is done in the right way for the right reasons and in the right amount of time. It is not about developing a quick fix. It is about working towa
MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ACT
Jason Chaffetz (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-1-10

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 274, the Modernizing Government Travel Act, is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. Mr. Will Hurd of Texas and Congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina have all come together on this bill. It is a good bill. prgtoken This bill came up in the 114th Congress. The same bill passed through the committee by regular order, and then in a close vote--much like the Clemson-Alabama game last night--when we voted on this bill last session was 415-0. I think there was a pretty good sense from the past Congress that is a good bill, and it should pass. prgtoken Federal employees' current transportation options on official travel are limited. While some agencies allow employees to be reimbursed for the use of sharing economy services, such as Lyft or Uber, not all of them do. As a result, the whole Federal Government does not benefit from the cost savings that can occur while being associated with these services. prgtoken The Modernizing Government Travel Act allows the Federal Government to reap the benefits of the sharing economy. The bill ensures that new transportation services as they emerge, Federal employees can quickly take advantage of the efficiencies of the new technologies that may be offered. prgtoken By opening up a new market for transportation services, H.R. 274 will also help spur innovation and competition, creating greater cost savings. We have some 2 million Federal employees. So this is an important part and it shouldn't be glanced over. There could be considerable savings along the way. prgtoken We must ensure that there is accountability for travel expenditures. Our committee, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and other watchdog groups outside of government are looking at these expenses. We have a duty and obligation to ensure that we are dealing with Federal taxpayer dollars responsibly. This bill mandates that agencies report their travel costs for each type of travel service to the General Services Administration, the GSA. The GSA must publish that data, helping make the Federal Government more transparent and accountable. The GSA will also report to Congress on agency official travel costs in order to make sure that they inform future transportation policy decisions. I urge passage of the bill. prgtoken , .
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-1-10

I rise today to pay tribute to our Nation's law enforcement men and women. prgtoken I respect and appreciate the important work of our police throughout the Nation who are charged with the critical work of protecting the people in our States and our local communities. The heartbreaking violent targeting of our Nation's police officers, recently, demonstrates the dangers these men and women face every day. prgtoken Every American is so proud as our many neighbors and fellow citizens get up every morning, put on their local law enforcement uniform and badge, kiss their families good-bye, and go out and serve us, keeping our cities and towns safe, trying to build trust and faith among all of our citizens. prgtoken Monday was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and our law enforcement men and women in Arkansas and throughout the country deserve our gratitude and respect. I proudly displayed a blue light in my office window to honor our law enforcement men and women, and I thank them for their selfless service.
SMALL BUSINESS BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACT
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-1-10

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 288, the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act. I am glad that the House is taking swift action on this bill, which would protect small Internet service providers from the enhanced disclosure requirements laid out in the 2015 Open Internet Order. prgtoken After adopting the Open Internet Order, the FCC recognized the importance of exempting small ISPs from these enhanced transparency rules and subsequently granted a temporary exemption to broadband providers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers. However, the Commission failed to reach an agreement to grant another exemption before the deadline last December and, as a result, has left hundreds of our Nation's small providers vulnerable to cumbersome rules. prgtoken FCC Commissioners Pai and O'Rielly have taken action, since the exemption expired, to reassure our small broadband providers that the rules will not be enforced until the situation has been addressed by the Commission, but Congress should go a step further and provide certainty to our Nation's small businesses and pass this bill. prgtoken Rather than a 1-year exemption to the enhanced disclosure requirements, this bill would exempt for 5 years broadband providers with fewer than 250,000 subscribers from the enhanced reporting obligations, providing them with the regulatory certainty to invest in their business. prgtoken At our hearing last January, we heard from multiple witnesses just how cumbersome and burdensome these rules are. One witness described the difference to be as significant as the need to hire regulatory counsel versus the ability to build another tower to provide service. For a small business in a capital-intensive industry, that could be the difference between getting more people connected to the Internet and going out of business. prgtoken We cannot let our small businesses and hardworking taxpayers be saddled prgtoken with more onerous rules and the costs that they bring. In addition to regulatory relief for small ISPs, the bill adds certainty for our Nation's small ISPs by extending the exemption for 5 years. prgtoken It was disappointing to see the Commission fail to reach an agreement at the end of last year to extend the exemption, and it is why we are here today. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support from Congress and President 's Small Business Administration, negotiations fell short, and our Nation's smallest and most competitive Internet service providers were left to bear the burden. prgtoken In today's 21st century economy, we need to do more to encourage connectivity, and this bill embodies that spirit. Congress is poised to provide the regulatory certainty small businesses are seeking in order to invest in stronger networks and foster a better consumer experience. prgtoken I want to thank Chairman Walden and Mr. Loebsack for acting quickly to reintroduce this legislation, and I
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017
Dean Heller (Republican, NV) \u2014 2017-1-11

amendment No. 167 is a side-by-side. This amendment makes good on two promises to the American people. One is to prgtoken repeal Care, which has increased costs, limited health care choices, and has raised $1.1 trillion in taxes on the American people in the middle class. prgtoken It also makes good on a second promise; that is, Congress will replace Care with health care reforms that provide access to quality, affordable health care coverage, not just to dependents under the age of 26 but to all Americans--women, children, seniors, and disabled. We shouldn't be choosing winners and losers. prgtoken A vote against this amendment is a vote against affordable, quality health care for all, and I urge my colleagues to support it.