mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RUTH WATERS, IN RECOGNITION OF 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE ARTS IN SAN MATEO COUNTY
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise to honor Ruth Waters, a remarkable artist and arts activist who has been sculpting for six decades and supporting the arts on the San Francisco Peninsula for four decades. This week, Ruth will be honored by her peers and the institution that she leads will celebrate its fourth year at its present location in Burlingame, offering art and artist studies to the community. prgtoken I first met Ruth in the 1980s when I served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and when Ruth was the founder and director of the Twin Pines Art Center in Belmont. Her passion for the arts and promoting public art in particular, led me to create a County Arts Task Force. Ruth's passion continues to this very day. She is a prolific artist and has exhibited solo in at least 25 exhibits and at dozens of regional and national juried shows. prgtoken In addition to being a talented sculptor and arts advocate, Ruth is an amazing administrator and organizer. She founded the Peninsula Museum of Art in 2004 and serves as its Executive Director. The museum moved to its current location in Burlingame in 2013. The museum's mission is to enhance the region and enrich lives through art and education. It offers five exhibition galleries, an art reference library, gift shop, and working studios for 30 professional-level artists. The inclusion of the artist studios in the space is a deliberate effort to bridge the gap between the creative community, professional artists and the community at large. prgtoken The current museum grew from the Twin Pines Art Center, which operated from 1977 to 1985 in Belmont. During this time, Ruth was also the co-founder and president of the Peninsula Sculptors' Guild, and she co-founded and served on the board of the Peninsula Arts Council from 1992 to 2008. prgtoken The accomplishments of Ruth Waters have been recognized on many occasions, including but not limited to the President's Award from the National Conference of the Women's Caucus for Art, and through her listings in the Dictionary of International Biography, Who's Who in Art, Architecture and Design, and the International Who's Who of Professional & Business Women. prgtoken , it is a rare person who personifies a profession that itself lends beauty to this world. Ruth personifies the world of art and sculpting, and we are fortunate to have the beauty that she continues to create around us. We should all be grateful for her leadership in promoting the arts and art appreciation. Beauty can neither be denied nor muzzled, and in Ruth Water's work we see beauty abound while a passionate voice for the arts proclaims its presence in service to us all.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BROKEN HEALTHCARE PROMISES TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Ruben Gallego (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-3-17

I am going to cut directly to the chase. The -Ryan healthcare bill betrays every single promise made about health care, and does it all for the sake of an enormous tax cut for those who need it least. prgtoken The first promise that made to the American people was that everyone would have health insurance. Although the ACA expanded health coverage to more than 20 million Americans, said repeatedly that he didn't think the ACA provided enough people with coverage. He said: ``We're going to have insurance for everybody,'' and ``I'm not going to leave the lower 20 percent that can't afford health insurance.'' prgtoken What does the -Ryan bill do? prgtoken According to the Congressional Budget Office, 14 million people would immediately lose coverage next year, and 24 million people would lose coverage by 2027. That is outrageous. But it gets worse. prgtoken According to the White House's own estimate, 26 million people, not 24 million people, will lose coverage under the -Ryan bill. prgtoken The second promise that made to the American people was that their health insurance would be cheaper. said that his plans would have ``much lower deductibles.'' prgtoken Secretary Tom Price said last week that under the -Ryan proposal ``nobody will be worse off financially.'' prgtoken What does the -Ryan bill actually do? prgtoken In my home State, Arizonans will get hit hard, very hard. In 2020, under the -Ryan plan, Arizonans will receive on average $3,500 less in subsidies than Care, meaning they are going to be forced to spend more money out of pocket to continue getting care. prgtoken The -Ryan bill will stick it to older Americans. It peels back an Care rule that protects older people from higher costs. The -Ryan bill green-lights insurance companies to charge older Americans 66 percent more. prgtoken According to the Congressional Budget Office, a typical, low-income, 64-year-old's out-of-pocket costs would increase from less than $2,000 a year to almost $15,000 a year by 2026. So if you are an older American and you don't like Care, let me tell you this right now: You are going to hate Care. prgtoken The third promise that made to the American people was that Americans would enjoy better health care. As a candidate, said that Care was ``horrible health care.'' He promised that ``everybody's going to be taken care of much better than they're taken care of now.'' prgtoken So what does the -Ryan bill do? prgtoken Well, if you are lucky enough to still have health insurance under the -Ryan plan, it will provide you even worse coverage. The bill does nothing to increase the quality of your care. It will cut some of the healthcare services you receive now. prgtoken In his speech before Congress less than 3 weeks ago, said that ``we will expand treatment for
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-17

I must hasten to add that the gentleman from California added a little comment that ``it is known.'' I don't share that view, , that it is known that the Affordable Care Act is failing. prgtoken In fact, we had a hearing yesterday when the former Director of the Congressional Budget Office appointed by testified on the Affordable Care Act and testified on the American Health Care Act. Lo and behold, , Mr. Elmendorf agreed with the present CBO Director. In other words--and everybody in America ought to be pleased on this because they all are asking for bipartisan--the former Director appointed by of the CBO agrees with the Director of the CBO, who just came down with his advice and counsel to the Congress just a few days ago. prgtoken That ought to give pause to those who are pressing to pass a bill, which would result in the loss by 24 million Americans of their insurance and would result in the increased costs to almost every American of their insurance. prgtoken Now, yes, there are some Americans who would choose not to have health care. Then they would get sick or they would get in an automobile accident or something else would happen where they would require medical care, and they would not be able to pay for it. Guess what? We would all pay for it. prgtoken That is what was happening before the Affordable Care Act. It is still happening with some who choose either to pay their contribution toward health--some people call it a penalty; I call it a contribution--to meet their personal responsibility, as the Heritage Foundation suggested, of having provisions that, if they get sick, they will be able to pay for it. prgtoken Now, last week, , the majority leader had some quotes from people who did not like the Affordable Care Act. At this hearing that we had, we had a number of people, and I want to quote some of them: I certainly never imagined I would have a child who would rely so much on a government program like Medicaid. prgtoken This child, , suffers from Rett syndrome, which is a neurology disorder that strikes mostly young girls with normal development for the first 18 or 24 months of their life. Then their development is arrested and, in fact, in some respects, there is a retreat in their abilities. prgtoken She went on to say: Medicaid provides skilled nursing care, which allows us to raise our daughter, Caroline, in our home instead of a hospital or institution. prgtoken Of course, a hospital or institution would be far more expensive, Mr. . prgtoken She went on to say: This allows my husband and me to hold jobs and take care of other family needs. The House plan for Medicaid would put my daughter's life at risk, and my family is terrified. prgtoken That was Marta Conner, mother of a child with Rett syndrome covered under Medicaid. prgtoken I titled yesterday's hearing: The hearing that the Repub
WE CAN'T GO THERE
Gregory W. Meeks (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-17

the camera of history is rolling, and here on the House floor it is recorded. So I want to make sure that we are clear. prgtoken When I think about going back into the nineties, it was Bill and Hillary Clinton that put forward a healthcare plan. My colleagues on the other side had the goal of stopping it. And they did. We had nothing. prgtoken For 6 of the 8 years that I was here--from 2000 until 2006--they controlled both the House, the Senate and the Presidency, and they did nothing in reference to health care. It took 2008 and to come up with the Affordable Care Act, which gave 20 million Americans health care that didn't have it. It made sure that those that had a preexisting condition could continue to make sure that there was no discrimination against women and girls, so as to make sure they had equal health care. It also made sure that you removed the caps so that Americans would not be caught, as they were beforehand, going bankrupt, disturbing families and separating families who did not know how to make it until tomorrow. It was the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Yet, here, history will record that our colleagues are prepared to vote on Thursday to take those 20 million Americans that did not have access to health care away from health care and back to the bad, old days. We can't go there.
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF PHILIP T. KALAYIL
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to recognize the life and many accomplishments of Philip T. Kalayil, a leader in Chicago and in the Indian-American community. prgtoken Mr. Kalayil lived a life of purpose, spent enriching the lives of those he met and those he served. We in Chicago are indeed fortunate that he settled here, coming from his state of Kerala in India to pursue his studies at Loyola University and staying to promote diversity, opportunity and understanding. prgtoken Philip Kalayil was always a scholar, earning a double master's in sociology and industrial relations and receiving the Heart of Asian American Community Award from the Association for Asian American Studies in 2008. His research helped him understand the disparities and discrimination facing members of the Asian American community, and it led him to a lifetime of work to tear down barriers so others could also succeed. He was a scholar with a vision and he put that vision to use to improve our entire community. prgtoken His career was multifaceted. He was a social worker for Catholic Charities. He served as Assistant Director of Emergency Services at the Department of Human Services. prgtoken Mr. Kalayil was also an outstanding and passionate advocate. Among the many organizations he helped build and foster are the Indian Catholic Association of America, the Asian Forum, and the Indo-American ic Organization (IADO). Each was designed to help members of the Indian-American and the greater Asian-American community not just thrive individually but become active participants in the broader society. prgtoken Philip Kalayil showed us the importance of working together across racial, ethnic and religious lines. He knew that many things were possible if we learned to work and engage together. He was a teacher, a doer and an inspiration. prgtoken He was also a devoted family member, and I know that his children-- Tom, Sales and Ann, my dear friend--are mourning his loss. I hope that they will take comfort in knowing how much their father is missed and how many lives he touched throughout his life.
THE HEALTHCARE BILL
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-3-17

just a little bit of history. prgtoken Let me, first of all, say happy St. Patrick's Day. Many know that the Irish fled in the 1800s, if my history is correct, because of the potato famine. We welcomed them as immigrants, and as an early member of the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, I remember the Irish sitting in our hearing room saying: Remember the Irish as relates to immigration. prgtoken We all have come from someplace to do better. This last week, I sat in the Budget Committee listening to debate on the healthcare bill. I stand here today to argue vigorously against the Medicaid changes: $880 billion taken away from Medicaid for low-income, hardworking Americans; the language that was added to the bill to instruct that we should not incentivize or that we should make sure that able-bodied men do not get Medicaid. prgtoken Well, let me say this. In the spirit of those who have come to this Nation, this bill cannot stand because it ignores the vulnerable and the people who need health insurance, who are, themselves, either addicted or have families. prgtoken I want to stand for what America is right for: its values. Let us vote down a healthcare bill that does not help America become unsick.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2017-3-17

. Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of bipartisan work to enhance recruitment and retainment strategies at VA medical centers. While we focus on strengthening the VA workforce, we must also prgtoken focus on making sure the geographic diversity of our VA workforce is reflective of the veteran patient population and that rural populations are adequately represented. prgtoken I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for working with me on this critically important amendment and for their dedication to our Nation's veterans. prgtoken My amendment is simple. It allows the Secretary to select eligible employees for the fellowship program who represent or service rural communities in order to alleviate the systemic burdens of rural healthcare workforce shortages for our Nation's veterans. In order to best serve our Nation's heroes from rural America, we must invest in training VA workers who understand the unique needs of rural America. prgtoken This amendment would help ensure that veterans who are serviced by rural VAs have access to the most cutting-edge healthcare industry procedures and practices. My amendment also helps address an issue that is indicative of a larger systemic issue in rural America where healthcare workforce recruitment is a barrier to improved population health. Workforce shortages, especially in health care, permeate every aspect of rural life, aggregating already long driving distances and minimal access to care. prgtoken There is significant evidence that increased recruitment and retention of professionals to underserved areas can exist if we recruit people from rural areas to come into our healthcare profession. To help address concerns of veterans' access to care, Congress established the Office of Rural Health within the VA in 2007. This office has done outstanding work over the years to recruit, train, and retain rural healthcare professionals. Everything we do in Congress in relation to the VA workforce must complement that work. prgtoken Approximately 25 percent of our Nation's veterans live in rural communities and comprise nearly 11 percent of the adult rural population. Rural veterans account for 36 percent of all VA enrollees. 43 percent of rural veterans earn an annual income of less than $26,000, and more than 40 percent do not have access to broadband internet. This limits the accessibility of our rural veterans to online healthcare services. prgtoken According to the Census, the rates of uninsurance, disability, poverty, and unemployment among veterans all increase as the levels of rurality increases. Four in ten have at least one service-connected disability. The Seventh Congressional District of Alabama is home to more than 36,000 veterans and over 5,000 VA employees at eight facilities. I visited with the VA staff at several of these facilities, and I am always impressed with the work that they do every day on behalf of our Nation's veterans. With all of the negativity
IN RECOGNITION OF STANLEY WALESKI, RECIPIENT OF THE GREATER PITTSTON FRIENDLY SONS OF SAINT PATRICK 2017 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Matt Cartwright (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to honor Stanley Waleski, who will receive the 2017 Achievement Award from the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Stan will be honored by the Friendly Sons during the 103rd annual dinner on March 17. prgtoken Stan is a former educator in the Pittston Area School District. He served as a teacher, coach, and principal for over 35 years, retiring in 2012. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from East Stroudsburg University with a teaching certification in Health and Physical Education. Stan received a Masters of Arts degree from Marywood University with certifications in Elementary Education, Elementary and Secondary School Administration, and a Superintendent's Letter of Intent. While attending Scranton Preparatory School, Stan was an outstanding athlete and a member of the 1973 PCIAA state champion basketball team. prgtoken For 51 years, Stan has been an active member of the Avoca Jolly Boys, a civic and community service organization, serving on its board of directors and at one time as president. The organization provides the community with athletic programs for youth and adults, as well as social events and picnics. The Jolly Boys sponsor the popular Avoca Basketball League, which Stan has served as the director of for the past 22 years. The league plays annually with over 450 players and 75 coaching volunteers. prgtoken It is an honor to recognize Stanley Waleski for his lifelong service to the Pittston community, and I congratulate him for receiving the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Achievement Award. I am grateful for his contributions to his community, and I wish him continued success in the future.
HONORING THE MEMORY OF MICHAEL JAY GROBSTEIN
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today in honor of the memory of my good friend of nearly three decades, Michael Jay Grobstein of Encino, California, who passed away Wednesday, March 8. prgtoken Michael died at home, surrounded by his loving family, including his wife of 53 years, Barrie; his children, Marla and Marc; and his grandchildren, Miranda and Avery. prgtoken Fifty years ago, as a young and talented CPA, Michael founded a CPA firm which grew to be the largest accounting firm in the San Fernando Valley, Grobstein and Horwath. In that role, he provided financial and strategic advice to businesses throughout southern California, and beyond. There are thousands of people who are employed today at businesses that Michael guided with insight and wisdom. prgtoken Michael served as a founding member and president of The Executives, a group of business leaders in the Valley formed to support the Jewish Home for the Aging, where my own mother lives, along with hundreds of those enjoying their senior years. For that effort, Barrie and Michael earned the Circle of Life Award. prgtoken As lifelong residents of the Valley, both Michael and Barrie were involved in many charities, including the Junior Blind of America, the Grossman Burn Foundation, City of Hope, Cal State University Northridge, Sherman Oaks Hospital, and the Sheriff's Youth Foundation. prgtoken Above all, Michael was an example of one of San Fernando Valley's finest community leaders, and he was a good friend. He will be missed.
HEALTHCARE PLAN BAD FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
Pete Aguilar (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

here are the facts: the Affordable Care Act covered over 20 million Americans. The House s' bill will strip 24 million people of their health care. prgtoken I have received thousands of calls, emails, and social media messages regarding this topic from constituents opposing a repeal and sharing their stories of how the Affordable Care Act has helped them and how terrified they are of losing their coverage. I would like to share just one of those stories. prgtoken Daria from Redlands wrote to me about how Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, is called a lifeline in her prgtoken family. Daria, who suffers from a debilitating and rare disease, closed her letter by saying: ``There are tens of millions more like me. American citizens, Moms and dads. Working hard, struggling with illness. Loving our families through hardship and disease. All of us-- these tens of millions of American families, would be absolutely devastated by the loss of our insurance coverage.'' prgtoken , what would you say to Daria about your plan that would cut Medicaid and raise the cost of insurance on families like hers while giving tax breaks to the uberwealthy? prgtoken Instead of working with to improve the bill, s drafted it in secret, rushed it through committee in the dead of night, and are now ramming it through Congress. This plan is bad for the middle class.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Julia Brownley (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 1367. prgtoken I thank my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, for introducing this bill to make important reforms to the VA's hiring and retention systems. prgtoken My amendment makes a small, but important, change to clarify a provision in the bill. prgtoken As long as I have served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, we have seen and heard that retaining high-quality candidates has been a real challenge. I can speak from experience on this. prgtoken In the greater Los Angeles region, which serves my constituents, there has been significant turnover of senior leadership at all of our local facilities, including our community clinic in Oxnard. These changes and uncertainty have, in my view, been harmful to the quality of care that our veterans receive. prgtoken That is why I am so pleased the bill directs the Comptroller General to review succession planning at VA medical facilities. prgtoken Effective succession planning, understanding what positions are mission critical, ensuring better training, and closing the skills gap will help the VA become a healthier organization, and help ensure that the VA accomplishes its mission--serving our Nation's veterans. prgtoken My amendment clarifies that a medical facility includes all VHA facilities, including medical centers, outpatient clinics, community- based outpatient clinics, and vet centers. prgtoken We must ensure each local facility has a strong workforce and a succession plan for the future. Because without strong leadership, we cannot provide the high-quality care that veterans have earned and deserve. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment, and .