mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUILDING OUR LARGEST DEMENTIA INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALZHEIMER'S ACT
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-12-19

I would like to thank Congressman Tonko for the leadership that he has provided and the opportunity to rise to urge all of my colleagues to support S. 2076, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. prgtoken I congratulate Senator Susan Collins for shepherding this bill through the Senate. I join together with my colleagues, Representatives Brett Guthrie, Paul Tonko, and Chris Smith, to introduce the House version of this bill in order to promote early detection and diagnosis, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities related to the care and treatment of Alzheimer's patients. prgtoken As the House ic co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I know how devastating this disease can be for patients, families, and caregivers. Alzheimer's affects more than 5 million Americans, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There is no effective treatment, no means of prevention, and no method for slowing the progression of the disease. prgtoken Alzheimer's is very costly to society. In 2017, the direct cost of care for Alzheimer's and other dementias was approximately $259 billion, with 67 percent of those costs paid by Medicare or Medicaid. At the current rate, the direct costs of care for these tragic conditions will reach more than $1 trillion by 2050. prgtoken Most Alzheimer's patients require constant care and attention, especially when they are in the final stages of the disease. More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care to family and friends living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The Alzheimer's Association calculated that caregivers provided more than 18 billion hours of unpaid care for people with dementia in 2016, at an estimated value of more than $230 billion. prgtoken Alzheimer's has a devastating impact on caregivers. Compared with caregivers for people without dementia, twice as many caregivers for people with dementia indicate substantial emotional, financial, and physical stress. prgtoken The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act establishes Alzheimer's centers of excellence around the country to expand and promote innovative and effective Alzheimer's interventions. These interventions will support early detection, reduce the risk of hospitalizations and cognitive decline, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities. The BOLD Act will also improve data collection on the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer's and related dementias. prgtoken So, , I am pleased to be here with my colleagues today, and I would certainly urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.
HONORING STAFF SERGEANT PATRICIA SALAZAR
Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise today to honor Staff Sergeant Patricia Salazar, who recently retired from the New Mexico Air National Guard after 25 years of distinguished service. Throughout her accomplished career, Staff Sergeant Salazar played many valuable roles in defense of our state and our nation. prgtoken A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Staff Sergeant Salazar graduated from St. Michael's High School in 1980. She received an athletic prgtoken scholarship from the College of Santa Fe and graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology. She went on to receive a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from California State University, Long Beach in 1986. After completing her graduate degree, Staff Sergeant Salazar returned to her home state and attended New Mexico State Police Training Academy. She then enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed her training in 1993. prgtoken Staff Sergeant Salazar began her tenure with the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Security Forces Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. After the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, she helped develop and initiate emergency evacuation plans for senior Pentagon leadership. In 2003, she transitioned to the New Mexico Army National Guard's 1209th Medical Detachment. From 2009 to 2011, Staff Sergeant Salazar was stationed in Kosovo and supervised a team of field medics during deployment and field operations. In 2012, she returned to Kirtland to serve with the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Special Operations Wing. prgtoken I had the pleasure of meeting Staff Sergeant Salazar last year when I worked with the Army to ensure that her father, Staff Sergeant Joe Salazar, received the medals he earned while serving our nation in World War II. He served with the 497th Bombardment Group of the Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945, earning several honors including a Bronze Star. Mr. Salazar was also a role model for his daughter when she enlisted and during her service overseas. prgtoken , I want to salute Staff Sergeant Patricia Salazar for her 25 years of service to New Mexico and the United States. It is hard- working, service-minded individuals like her who continue to make our state and our nation so great. I wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 299
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-12-19

in closing, I am grateful to my colleague from Wisconsin and my colleagues across the aisle. This measure was bipartisan. It was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives. It should be unanimous here. The money is not a problem. The money is there. The predictions about outlandish possible financial exposure are simply products of fantasy. I know my colleagues almost unanimously on the other side of the aisle understand that simple fact. But even if the costs were higher than they are projected to be, we have an obligation to do the right thing. We have a moral duty to make sure we fulfill our promise. prgtoken I know the Presiding Officer has been a strong advocate for our veterans. I know my fellow members on the Veterans' Affairs Committee join me in this belief. prgtoken The costs of this program are the costs of war. They are the costs of keeping our troops on the DMZ in Korea. They are the costs of having sent them to Vietnam. They are the costs of sending our troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, and this measure would provide a study of the possible effects in terms of their health from those kinds of poisonous and toxic exposures. The modern battlefield is filled with toxins and poisons, and the injuries that result from them are the costs of war. We need to recognize that fact and refuse, absolutely reject the possibility that we will continue to delay even longer the justice these men and women deserve. prgtoken I can pledge to my colleagues that if we fail to do it this session, we will be back again next session. The costs to our conscience, if not to our budget, will rise in the meantime. prgtoken I am pleased to call on my very distinguished colleague and military veteran from Illinois, Senator Duckworth.
HEALTHCARE
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise to speak about some of our colleagues who are leaving the Senate. Before I do that, I want to address what happened late on the Friday night--I think 9 days before Christmas--when a Texas judge basically threw out the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken This latest decision comes more than 6 years after the Supreme Court, in an opinion written by Justice Roberts, already upheld the law's constitutionality. That opinion also found that parts of the law can be severed from the rest of the legislation. It comes after the administration has stated emphatically that it would not defend the law. prgtoken So, basically, instead of going in there and helping out to save healthcare for millions of Americans and protect them from being thrown off their insurance if they have preexisting conditions--instead of going into that burning building--the administration has said to basically stand down and throw lighter fluid on the fire. That is exactly what has happened. If this ruling takes effect, the consequences will be devastating. prgtoken To start, protections for people with preexisting conditions would be gone. About half of all Americans have preexisting conditions. This isn't just about rare diseases. This is also about asthma and diabetes. The ability to keep your kids on your insurance plans until they are 26 years old will be gone. The work we have done to close the Medicare doughnut hole coverage gap, which makes it easier for our seniors to afford pharmaceuticals and to lower prescription drug prices, will be gone. The provisions that help people to buy insurance on the healthcare exchanges will be gone. Minnesotans will see a loss of $364 million in premium tax credits, and, roughly, 272,000 people in my State will lose coverage. prgtoken We can't allow this to happen. The judge must issue a stay immediately until the appeals are completed so that these protections can stay in place and this decision can be overturned. prgtoken It is time to stop trying to start from scratch. The American people spoke in this last election across the country. Do they want improvements to the Affordable Care Act, like making pharmaceuticals less expensive and doing something about premiums? Yes, they do, but they don't want to start from scratch. prgtoken We have already seen what kind of healthcare proposals we get when we start from scratch--the ones that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have put forward. The legislation that we saw earlier this Congress would have hurt people by kicking millions off of Medicaid, by letting insurance companies charge people more when they get sick, and by jacking up healthcare costs. Every major group that you trust when it comes to your health--the largest groups of doctors, nurses, seniors, hospitals, people with cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and diabetes--has said it was the worst repeal bill yet. We cannot spend the next 2 years going backward and fight
CLIMATE CHANGE
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-12-19

I will conclude my remarks by just bringing you back to the vision that I had in the window of a spacecraft orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes. An hour of that was in the daylight of the sun and about a half-hour of that in the shadow of the Earth, which is the nighttime, looking at how beautiful the Earth was, and yet it looked so fragile. You could look at the rim of the Earth, that bright blue band, but right underneath it you could see that very thin atmosphere that supports all of our life. With the naked eye, from that altitude in the spacecraft orbiting the planet, you could actually see how we are messing it up. prgtoken You could see this in flight 34 years ago. As a matter of fact, our first launch attempt, 34 years today, took us five tries to get off the ground, but once we did, we could see with the naked eye how we are messing it up. Coming across Madagascar, the island nation off the southeast coast of the continent of Africa, you could see they had cut down all the trees. You could immediately see the effects because when the rains came, there was no vegetation to hold the topsoil, and the topsoil was all running down. From that altitude, looking down, you could see that silt going out into the bright blue waters of the Indian Ocean. With the naked eye, you can see that. It is such a beautiful planet. We best take care of it. prgtoken Indeed, that was the effect upon me of having gone into space. I decided I wanted to be a better steward when I came back to Earth. Here we are, 34 years later, still fighting--fighting and fighting--to try to get people to understand what we are doing to ourselves. I thank this Senator, and I thank all the Senators who have spoken here, and I want your voices to keep strong and keep consistent and keep at it because sooner or later--hopefully, not after a catastrophe--the world's population is going to come around and understand that we have to be better stewards of our home. prgtoken .
CONFIRMATION OF JOSEPH MAGUIRE
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-12-19

I wholeheartedly support the nomination of VADM Joseph Maguire to be the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, NCTC. Had I been able to cast my vote today, it would have been to support this exceptional-nominee. prgtoken The Director of the NCTC is one of the most important positions in the intelligence community, especially at this critical juncture in our Nation's history. Admiral Maguire has a long and impressive record of achievement and of service to his country, and I applaud his willingness to once again return to public service after completing a Navy career that spanned 36 years, including as the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command. prgtoken The National Counterterrorism Center is the U.S. intelligence community's premier organization for tracking and countering the continuing threat from terrorism. Our country still has men and women on the frontlines in the fight against extremist groups, and they must get it right each hour of every day to ensure the safety and security of their fellow Americans. prgtoken As Admiral Maguire and I have discussed, our counterterrorism capabilities are greatly strengthened by our relationships with the allies and partners with whom we have fought shoulder-to-shoulder since September 11, 2001, in this struggle. This is why it is important for the United States to hold onto and strengthen our traditional alliances such as NATO-- and not to heedlessly undermine them. prgtoken I am satisfied by the ironclad commitments Admiral Maguire gave to the Senate Intelligence Committee during his confirmation hearing to ensuring that the men and women serving under him will always be empowered to assess and analyze intelligence free from political interference. He has also committed to present these assessments to those in leadership positions free of any political considerations. In short, he has committed to ``speak truth to power,'' and I expect him to live up to these commitments. prgtoken This is especially important at a time when we have sometimes seen those in power unjustifiably belittle and denigrate our Intelligence Community and law enforcement agencies. prgtoken I trust that Admiral Maguire and those he leads at the NCTC will continue to selflessly work day and night--whether on the 24/7 watch floor or on the front lines, to protect the United States and our allies from the terrorist threat. I salute him for stepping up to this challenging task.
IN APPRECIATION OF PAUL THOMPSON UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise to express my appreciation of Mr. Paul Thompson upon his retirement from the Government Accountability Office. prgtoken Over the past four decades, Mr. Thompson has worked on a diverse range of issues in the Legislative and Executive Branches. Mr. Thompson began his federal career in 1977, as a staff member to the then-U.S. House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. He then joined the Department of Energy's Office of General Counsel in 1980 as a Law Clerk. In 1982, he left the Department of Energy and joined the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as an Attorney-Advisor. In 1987, Mr. Thompson took a position in the private sector, but, just three years later, he began working at what we now know as the Government Accountability Office. But in 1991, it was called the General Accounting Office. prgtoken Over the past 27 years, Mr. Thompson has helped GAO carry out its core mission of supporting Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. In my capacity as the top on the Committee on Homeland Security Committee, I have found him to be a reliable resource to our staff in our efforts to carry out vigorous oversight and appreciate his personal commitment to providing staff with valuable insights and information. prgtoken , you may be wondering whether Mr. Thompson and I are related. We are not related, but we share a commitment to accountability and oversight. prgtoken We thank Mr. Thompson for his service to our country and wish him the very best.
HONORING THE CAREER OF JERRY O'BANION
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise today to honor the career of Merced County Supervisor Jerry O'Banion. On December 18, 2018, Mr. O'Banion retired from the Merced County Board of Supervisors after 28 incredible years of service. prgtoken Mr. O'Banion was born and raised in Dos Palos, California on the westside of Merced County. Having grown up seeing his father, Emory O'Banion, serve as a county supervisor for the westside communities, Mr. O'Banion saw the importance of public service early on. In 1964, he graduated from Dos Palos High School and continued his education at Fresno State, where he earned a BA in General Sciences and an Agricultural Education Credential in 1969. prgtoken After serving 6 years in the National Guard and as a 4-H youth advisor in Fresno County from 1969 to 1973, Mr. O'Banion returned to Merced County where he would soon begin his distinguished career of public service. prgtoken Mr. O'Banion was elected to the Dos Palos City Council in 1980 and served in that role until being elected as the city's mayor in 1987. Three years later, he was elected to the Merced County Board of Supervisors to represent the county's westside communities of Dos Palos, Los Banos, and Santa Nella. During his time on the Board of Supervisors, Mr. O'Banion has served as chairman numerous times, including this year of his retirement. prgtoken Mr. O'Banion's 28-year tenure on the Merced County Board of Supervisors makes him the second-longest serving county supervisor in the State of California. In each of the offices Mr. O'Banion has held, he has had the honor to represent the places where he grew up. At the same time, he has also raised an amazing family in those communities. prgtoken Together, Mr. O'Banion and his wife of 50 years, Dollie, have three children and eight grandchildren, all of whom have always been supportive of his service to the community and helped to carry on the proud legacy of the O'Banion family. prgtoken In retirement, I am sure Mr. O'Banion will continue to exhibit the same level of unwavering leadership and commitment present throughout his career as he continues to serve the various local organizations he's involved with and his family's business, O'Banion Ranches, Diversified Farming. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the exemplary career of a Merced County Supervisor Jerry O'Banion. It is both fitting and appropriate that we honor a man who has spent a lifetime advocating for Merced County's westside. I wish him and his family the best as he retires from a highly accomplished career in public service.
U.N. FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-12-19

. I thank Bishop Carper--I mean Senator Carper as I continue preaching to the choir. There is no one who does it better than you do, and we have to continue to do this insistently, persistently, and constantly to make sure this message is heard. We thank you for all of your great leadership, Senator Carper. prgtoken Senator Merkley will be joining us out here on the floor. We have so many other Members who are completely committed to this issue. It is absolutely essential that we make progress in 2019 and 2020 on this issue. prgtoken We are speaking on the floor today about the just-concluded international climate negotiations in Poland--also called COP24. That means conference of parties. That means every nation on Earth. Twenty- four. The 24 times that every nation on Earth met to preserve the Earth, to make sure that this great gift God gave us is, in fact, passed on better than we found it and not potentially at great risk because we did not act. prgtoken Unfortunately, given the focus of the administration at the climate conference, you could say that we are here on the Senate floor not for a colloquy but for ``coal-oquy''--a discussion about the role of coal in our society. prgtoken In a shameful moment for our country in the history of international climate negotiations, the United States formed a gaslighting group with Kuwait, Russia, and Saudi Arabia to downplay the findings on climate change while at the talks in Poland. prgtoken Despite the fact that in the IPCC's special report--the U.N.'s special report--on 1.5 degrees Celsius, the world's scientists tell us that coal without carbon capture must be completely eliminated as a source of power by the year 2050, the United States, unfortunately, held an official event celebrating dirty fossil fuels, with no solution to the problem. prgtoken That is the administration. President , I think, got his degree in climate science from University, and the diplomas were handed out by the Koch brothers. This is the problem. It is not the coal miners. We have to make sure that we take care of the coal miners. We have to make sure that they get the healthcare they need, the pensions they need. prgtoken There is a revolution going on. It is a renewables revolution, and it is an all-electric vehicle revolution. This administration has been trying as hard as it can to stop it, to slow it down, even as the planet gets dangerously warm. prgtoken Fortunately, for the planet, the international community set the rules of the road for implementing the Paris climate agreement despite the misinformation being peddled by the administration. The global community was in agreement in its belief in the science of climate. Now we have a new rule book based on the international consensus for making progress toward the goals outlined in the Paris climate agreement. prgtoken What happened in Poland was an important milestone for the planet. When a